ST. GEORGE — Visitors to Zion National Park caught a glimpse of what the canyon was like millions of years ago during Fossil Day on Wednesday. Interactive information booths, displays and guest speakers shed light upon the deeper story hidden inside the canyon walls.

Lindsay Baker, Zion National Park education coordinator, told St. George News the park was home to dinosaurs, reptilians and small mammals over 180 million years ago. Fossil Day highlights some of the most current research. 

“Studying these fossil records helps us gain a better understanding of the ancient landscapes that form Zion National Park today,” Baker said. “Understanding those landscapes leads us to better understanding the environment around us now. And understand the geology and the earth that we are here stewarding.” 

Conner Bennett, Zion National Park paleontology assistant, said that fossils are a physical understanding of how organisms have changed over a long time. Things like trace fossils and dinosaur tracks allow students to gain insights into the behaviors of these organisms. He said park officials are learning about the structure of the organisms and the environments they were living. 

“We also get plant fossils, which are very significant because they tell us a lot about the environment at the time,” Bennett said. “So, say we have tropical plants, it tells us that there is quite a humid environment and quite a lot of warmth. Fossils are so important in establishing these aspects of ancient life. They’re kind of our most important physical data resource and understanding things like environmental changes, evolution, and things like that.”

The geologic formations at Zion National Park preserve many trace, body and plant fossils. Bennett said fossils left behind provide evidence of the organism’s behavior. Trace fossils may include insect burrows and fossil tracks. He added that dinosaur tracks are the most prevalent fossils found in the Moenave, Kayenta, and Navajo formations.

“Body fossils are the remains of an organism’s body, which include things like teeth and bones, and are important to providing information on the overall structure of an organism,” he said. “These kinds of fossils are not common in Zion National Park.”

Plant fossils are found more often throughout the park and provide important information about the environmental conditions of the park’s geologic history. Bennett said petrified wood is Zion’s most common plant fossil in the Moenkopi, Chinle, Moenave, Kayenta, and Navajo formations. 

Bennett added that a plant fossil found in the Chinle Formation of Zion National Park is a fragment of a fossil cycad, which preserves the cycad’s unique “pineapple-like” bark texture.

Park officials were pleased with the day’s turnout, Baker said. They had students visiting from local schools and local, national and international visitors stopping by.

“We’re really excited to share all of this information with our visitors and help them also keep an eye out for their own environment, their own landscape; we find new track sites and new fossil sites in this park frequently, and if you’re not paying attention, they’re easy to miss or even step on without spotting them,” Baker said. 

She adds that they hope by sharing information with visitors, everyone can help protect and preserve the track sites and future possible sites. 

Bennett said park visitors can help the Zion paleontology division by reporting any fossil find. If body fossils, tracks or fossil plant material are found while hiking in the park, take a photo with an item for scale, get a GPS coordinate for the site and email or give the information to a Zion National Park ranger. 

“The ranger may ask you to fill out a form detailing your discovery,” Bennett said. “With the rapid rate of erosion in Zion, it is possible that this is a new site you discovered. To keep these fragile resources safe, please do not disclose the location of paleontological sites to anyone except Zion rangers. Acting as a citizen scientist, the data you collect will help national park scientists to better understand your discovery. Through responsible fossil reporting, you will help conserve the fossil resources of Zion National Park for generations to come.”

Baker said although Fossil Day is once a year, the science education at Zion National Park offers several different ranger talks and educational programs for school groups, in the park, and online year-round. The booths during the event featured current research, model fossils and various family-friendly activities and crafts.  Junior Rangers also receive a paleontologist activity book.

According to a news release, Zion National Park preserves 200 million years of history in the rock from the Permian Kaibab Formation to the Cretaceous Dakota and Cedar Mountain formations. These rock layers hold environments from ancient shallow seas to desert dunes. 

Organizations that supported National Fossil Day include Zion Forever Project, St. George Discovery Site, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Snow Canyon State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. 

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