WEBVTT 00:00.967 --> 00:03.800 position:10% line:85% size:80% SOME FOSSILS ARE BONES LIKE THESE, WHEN ANIMALS AND PLANTS FROM AGES 00:03.800 --> 00:08.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% PAST DIE, THEIR REMAINS ARE COVERED BY SILT OR SOIL. 00:08.266 --> 00:11.734 position:10% line:85% size:80% OVER THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF YEARS THE BONE IS REPLACED 00:11.734 --> 00:17.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% BY MINERALS AND BECOMES ENCASED IN ROCK. 00:17.266 --> 00:19.734 position:10% line:85% size:80% SCIENTISTS CALLED PALEONTOLOGISTS DIG UP FOSSILS 00:19.734 --> 00:22.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND LEARN MORE ABOUT TIMES PAST. 00:22.900 --> 00:25.500 position:10% line:85% size:80% IDAHO IS FAMOUS FOR ITS FOSSILS, PARTICULARLY THE 00:25.500 --> 00:29.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% HAGERMAN HORSE, THIS ZEBRA LIKE CREATURE, LIVED NEAR, 00:29.266 --> 00:32.734 position:10% line:85% size:80% WHAT IS NOW, HAGERMAN, IDAHO, IN A TIME PERIOD CALLED THE 00:32.734 --> 00:36.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% LATE PLIOCENE EPOCH; THAT WAS ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION 00:36.266 --> 00:38.867 position:10% line:85% size:80% YEARS AGO. 00:39.433 --> 00:42.066 position:10% line:85% size:80% PHIL GENSLER, PALEONTOLOGIST: THIS PART OF IDAHO IS REALLY 00:42.066 --> 00:45.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% UNIQUE BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS LARGE SECTION OF GEOLOGY HERE, 00:45.700 --> 00:48.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% IT'S CALLED THE GLENNS FERRY FORMATION, AND THAT'S WHERE WE 00:48.333 --> 00:49.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% FIND THOUSANDS OF FOSSILS. 00:49.700 --> 00:54.367 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND HERE IN HAGERMAN, WE HAVE 4,300 ACRES OF LAND PRESERVED 00:54.367 --> 00:58.533 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND WE HAVE ALMOST 600 FOSSIL LOCALITIES THERE. 00:58.533 --> 01:01.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% EVERY YEAR WE GET ABOUT THREE TO FIVE THOUSAND NEW FOSSILS A 01:01.000 --> 01:02.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% YEAR. 01:02.000 --> 01:05.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND THAT'S ONE OF THE RICHEST SITES IN THE WORLD FOR THIS 01:05.000 --> 01:07.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% AGE OF FOSSILS THAT WE FIND. 01:07.700 --> 01:10.066 position:10% line:85% size:80% CARTAN-HANSEN: MANY OF THE FOSSILS FOUND HERE, ARE 01:10.066 --> 01:12.367 position:10% line:85% size:80% EXAMPLES OF THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS THAT WERE IN IDAHO 01:12.367 --> 01:15.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% BEFORE THE LAST ICE AGE. 01:15.333 --> 01:17.800 position:10% line:85% size:80% GENSLER: THE HAGERMAN HORSE IS ACTUALLY A VERY COMMON HORSE 01:17.800 --> 01:20.433 position:10% line:85% size:80% FROM THIS TIME RANGE, IT'S FOUND THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN 01:20.433 --> 01:21.633 position:10% line:85% size:80% UNITED STATES. 01:21.633 --> 01:24.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% IT WAS FIRST DISCOVERED IN TEXAS, OF ALL PLACES, BUT HERE 01:24.900 --> 01:29.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% IN HAGERMAN IT'S THE QUANTITY OF HORSES THAT MAKES THIS 01:29.000 --> 01:31.633 position:10% line:85% size:80% PLACE VERY UNIQUE. 01:31.633 --> 01:33.967 position:10% line:85% size:80% CARTAN-HANSEN: PALEONTOLOGISTS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE 01:33.967 --> 01:38.233 position:10% line:85% size:80% FOUND FOSSILS OF THE HAGERMAN HORSE FIRST IN THE 1920S. 01:38.233 --> 01:40.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND PALEONTOLOGIST PHIL GENSLER, CONTINUES THEIR WORK 01:40.900 --> 01:42.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% TODAY. 01:42.900 --> 01:45.633 position:10% line:85% size:80% GENSLER: WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS ONE THE LARGE PLASTER JACKETS, 01:45.633 --> 01:48.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% THIS IS WHAT THE PLASTER JACKETS WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN WE 01:48.700 --> 01:50.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% REMOVE THEM FROM THE FIELD. 01:50.266 --> 01:53.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% THIS IS TO PROTECT THEM SO THEY DON'T FALL APART. 01:53.000 --> 01:55.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% THE SECOND CASTS YOU SEE HERE IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AFTER 01:55.700 --> 01:59.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% WE TAKE OFF ONE SIDE OF THE PLASTER. 01:59.266 --> 02:01.367 position:10% line:85% size:80% YOU CAN SEE THE ROCK IS EXPOSED AND IN CERTAIN AREAS 02:01.367 --> 02:02.433 position:10% line:85% size:80% THERE IS LITTLE BITS OF BONE. 02:02.433 --> 02:05.166 position:10% line:85% size:80% THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN IDENTIFYING WHERE THE FOSSILS 02:05.166 --> 02:06.433 position:10% line:85% size:80% ARE SO WE KNOW WHERE TO WORK. 02:06.433 --> 02:11.233 position:10% line:85% size:80% WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS ACTUALLY THE RIB BONE TO THE HORSE. 02:11.233 --> 02:14.533 position:10% line:85% size:80% IF WE LOOK OVER IN THIS DIRECTION THERE'S ANOTHER 02:14.533 --> 02:15.633 position:10% line:85% size:80% SMALL SLIVER OF BONE. 02:15.633 --> 02:19.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% THE ROCK THAT THE BONES ARE IN IS LIKE CONCRETE, IT'S VERY 02:19.700 --> 02:21.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% HARD. 02:21.266 --> 02:23.433 position:10% line:85% size:80% SO THESE FOSSIL PREPARATORS, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLED, 02:23.433 --> 02:26.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% THEY USE AIR SCRIBES, WHICH IS A LITTLE HANDHELD JACKHAMMER 02:26.900 --> 02:30.967 position:10% line:85% size:80% AND THEY JUST SLOWLY, VERY SLOWLY AND VERY GENTLY WORK 02:30.967 --> 02:34.066 position:10% line:85% size:80% AWAY THE ROCK AWAY FROM THE FOSSIL BONES. 02:34.066 --> 02:36.900 position:10% line:85% size:80% SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE AND YOU 02:36.900 --> 02:38.800 position:10% line:85% size:80% REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, SO IT TAKES 02:38.800 --> 02:40.066 position:10% line:85% size:80% SKILLED PEOPLE TO DO THAT. 02:40.066 --> 02:42.166 position:10% line:85% size:80% BUT TYPICALLY THE BONE IS A DIFFERENT TEXTURE THAN THE 02:42.166 --> 02:43.000 position:10% line:85% size:80% ROCK ITSELF. 02:43.000 --> 02:45.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% WITH THESE BIG CASTS WE'RE USUALLY LOOKING FOR HORSE 02:45.266 --> 02:47.700 position:10% line:85% size:80% BONES, BUT ALSO INSIDE THERE IS LITTLE RODENTS AND FISH AND 02:47.700 --> 02:51.233 position:10% line:85% size:80% THOSE REQUIRE A MICROSCOPE TO FIND THEM. 02:51.233 --> 02:53.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% CARTAN-HANSEN: PALEONTOLOGISTS STUDY FOSSILS TO LEARN HOW 02:53.333 --> 02:57.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% ANIMALS USED TO INTERACT, OR HOW PLANTS GREW. 02:57.333 --> 02:59.467 position:10% line:85% size:80% THEY LEARNED WHAT THE ENVIRONMENT WAS LIKE AND HOW 02:59.467 --> 03:00.533 position:10% line:85% size:80% THE EARTH IS CHANGING. 03:00.533 --> 03:03.500 position:10% line:85% size:80% PALEONTOLOGISTS NEED A LOT OF PATIENCE AND A LOT OF 03:03.500 --> 03:05.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% SCHOOLING. 03:05.266 --> 03:07.533 position:10% line:85% size:80% BUT ACCORDING TO PHIL GENSLER, THE FIRST THING IT TAKES TO BE 03:07.533 --> 03:12.266 position:10% line:85% size:80% A GOOD PALEONTOLOGIST IS A SENSE OF WONDER. 03:12.266 --> 03:14.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% GENSLER: PALEONTOLOGISTS ARE PEOPLE WHO NEVER REALLY QUITE 03:14.333 --> 03:16.600 position:10% line:85% size:80% GREW UP, YOU KNOW THEY STARTED DIGGING IN THE DIRT AND YOU 03:16.600 --> 03:19.333 position:10% line:85% size:80% JUST ENJOY WHAT YOU FIND AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE I AM. 03:19.333 --> 03:23.166 position:10% line:85% size:80% I ENJOY GETTING OUT IN THE FIELD AND FINDING NEW FOSSILS, 03:23.166 --> 03:24.166 position:10% line:85% size:80% THAT'S THE FUNNEST PART OF IT.