John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/john-day-fossil-beds-national-monument

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is John Day Fossil Beds National Monument?13,944 acres (5,643 ha)
2. What is the location?Wheeler and Grant counties, east-central Oregon, USA
3. What is the geological formations?John Day Formation (late Eocene to late Miocene)
4. Why are the rocks at John Day Fossil Beds so colorful?Different layers of soil and ash were laid down in different climates, creating bright badlands. These colors show how the environment changed over time.
5. How old are the fossils found at John Day Fossil Beds?The fossils date from about 45 million to 5 million years ago, covering the late Eocene to the late Miocene periods.

Cenozoic Era: The current geological era, spanning the last 66 million years, characterized by the dominance of mammals.
Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification), used to understand geological history.
Paleoecology: The study of ancient environments and the interactions between organisms and their surroundings.
Fluvial Deposits: Sediments transported and deposited by rivers and streams.