GLIMPSE OF AN ANCIENT PAST
Picture this: a vast grassy plain, dotted here and there with trees. A small herd of rhinos thunders by. An elephant trumpets in the distance. A long, giraffe-like neck stretches into the branches of a tree. A herd of grazing mammals—are those zebras?—lift their heads, all of them suddenly nervous. And no wonder. An animal that looks a bit like a hyena rustles the grass nearby.
Where is this exotic location?
It must be Africa.
Or is it?
Take a closer look at those animals. The rhinos are definitely rhinos. But with their short, squatty legs and round bodies, they look a bit like hippos.
The elephant, when it lifts its trunk, shows off four tusks, not two. That giraffe, on closer inspection, actually looks kind of like a camel.
And the zebras turn out to be several different kinds of horses. Some are zebra-sized, others the size of small ponies. They all have hooves, but some have three on each foot!
The hyena? Although it has similarly powerful, bone-crushing jaws, this animal is something else entirely. Hyenas aren’t dogs, but this animal is. And—whoa! The deer that just bounded by had three horns.
Do you know where you are now?
No?
Would you believe it’s the middle of North America?
Welcome to Nebraska … twelve million years ago.
How do we know that ancient Nebraska used to look like today’s African savanna? Through the hard work of many scientists and one extraordinary discovery.
But before we get to that, let’s go back to that grassland. There’s a water hole nearby. It’s not a proper lake or pond, because it isn’t always there. When rain falls, it fills. Animals come by to drink. But when the dry season comes, the water slowly evaporates. It soaks into the ground. After a while, the water hole is nothing more than mud.
Seasons here—both on the African savanna and in ancient Nebraska—aren’t determined by warm temperatures versus cold ones. Temps stay mild (above freezing) all year long. Instead, seasons are defined by rainfall, creating a wet season and a dry one. During the dry season, the water hole is an important source of water for the animals that live here. Even those that don’t live nearby will travel a long way to visit.
What critters might have come to this ancient place to drink? Rhinos, elephants, horses, and camels of many kinds. Predators, including several kinds of wild dogs, a saber-toothed “cat,” and a beardog that’s neither bear nor dog.
A strange creature called an oreodont.
Deer with three horns or saber teeth. Horned rodents. Birds, turtles, snakes, and more.
Now imagine it’s an ordinary day for these animals. They’re doing what animals do—eating, drinking, and trying not to become someone else’s lunch. It’s that time of year when there are lots of mothers with their babies.
Seems peaceful, doesn’t it?
But a thousand miles away, trouble is brewing. These animals don’t know it, but everything is about to change.
Illustrations copyright © 2021 by Matt Huynh
