Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

{{short description|National monument in Nebraska, United States}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

| alt_name =

| iucn_category = III

| photo = Agathe National Monument10.jpg

| photo_alt = An aerial photo of University and Carnegie hills

| photo_caption = University and Carnegie Hills fossil beds

| map = Nebraska#USA

| relief = 1

| map_alt = A map of the United State showing the location of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument

| map_caption =

| location = Sioux County, Nebraska, United States

| nearest_city = Harrison, NE

| coordinates = {{coord|42.421703|-103.75388|display=inline, title|format=dms}}

| coords_ref = {{cite gnis|826917|Agate Fossil Beds National Monument|November 18, 2013}}

| area_acre = 3,057.87

| area_ref = {{NPS area|year=2011|accessdate=March 18, 2012}}

| established = June 14, 1997

| visitation_num = 15,555

| visitation_year = 2016

| visitation_ref = {{NPS Visitation|accessdate=May 19, 2017}}

| governing_body = National Park Service

| website = [http://www.nps.gov/agfo/ Agate Fossil Beds National Monument]

}}

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument near Harrison, Nebraska. The main features of the monument are a valley of the Niobrara River and the fossils found on Carnegie Hill and University Hill.

The area largely consists of grass-covered plains. Plants on the site include prairie sandreed, blue grama, little bluestem and needle and thread grass, and the wildflowers lupin, spiderwort, western wallflower and sunflowers.

History

File:Entering Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.jpg

File:Agfo map.jpg

Originally the Agate Springs Ranch, a working cattle ranch, was owned by Capt. James Cook. The monument's museum collection also contains more than 500 artifacts from the Cook Collection of Plains Indians artifacts.

The national monument was authorized on June 5, 1965, but was not established until June 14, 1997. The Harold J. Cook Homestead (Bone Cabin Complex) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.{{cite web |url=http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/sioux.htm |title=Nebraska National Register Sites in Sioux County |publisher=Nebraska State Historical Society |access-date=October 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019133106/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/sioux.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2013 |url-status=usurped }} Agate Fossil Beds is maintained by the National Park Service.{{cite web |title=Agate Fossil Beds National Monument |publisher=U.S. National Park Service |url=http://www.nps.gov/agfo/index.htm |access-date=December 16, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091202222815/http://www.nps.gov/agfo/index.htm| archive-date= December 2, 2009 | url-status= live}}

Paleontology

The site is best known for a large number of well-preserved Miocene fossils, many of which were found at dig sites on Carnegie and University Hills. Fossils from the Harrison Formation and Anderson Ranch Formation, which date to the Arikareean in the North American land mammal classification, about 20 to 16.3 million years ago, are among some of the best specimens of Miocene mammals.{{Cite book|last=Graham|first= John Paul|url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1127651017|title=Agate Fossil Beds National Monument: geologic resources inventory report|oclc=1127651017}}

Species found in Agate include:

Miohippus, Merychippus and Parahippus, ancestors of the modern day horse.
Diceratherium, two-horned rhinoceros.
Menoceras, pony-sized rhinoceros, the most common animal found in the fossil beds.{{cite web |title=Mammal Fossils |url=https://www.nps.gov/agfo/learn/nature/mammalfossils.htm |website=Agate Fossil Beds |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=10 January 2022}}
Daphoenodon and Ysengrinia, two types of mid-sized bear dogs.
Promerycochoerus, a semiaquatic hippo-like oreodont.
Daeodon, the largest Entelodont (giant pig-like ungulate).
Stenomylus, gazelle-like camelids.
Oxydactylus, giraffe-like camelids.
Palaeocastor, land beavers that dug large corkscrew-shaped burrows (Daemonelix).{{Cite web|title=Unexpected Treasures on Nebraska's High Plains: Agate Fossil Beds National Monument|url=https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2012/09/unexpected-treasures-nebraska%E2%80%99s-high-plains-agate-fossil-beds-national-monument10593|access-date=2022-01-17|website=www.nationalparkstraveler.org|language=en}}
Moropus, a chalicothere which are relatives of rhinos and horses.
Merychyus, a sheep-like oreodont.
Syndyoceras, antelope-like mammal and extinct relatives of artiodactyls.