This week's #FossilFriday is a special one because it's also the anniversary of the discovery of the Versleuce Meadows bison, an ~5400 year old steppe bison discovered in Whitehorse, Yukon on April 26, 2012.
On that chilly April morning, Craig Duncan showed up at the Yukon Archaeology and Palaeontology office with some fossils he’d unearthed while digging a trench. After the archaeology and palaeontology crew had a look at the bones, they quickly realized that this was something special. So, within a few hours, a team assembled and headed out to investigate.
Over the course of two days, a partially complete steppe bison skeleton was recovered, along with several palaecological samples that contained mollusks, pollen, vascular plants, and bryophyte macrofossils.
After a whirlwind excavation, the Duncan’s were quickly able to resume their construction work. However, the palaeontological work was just beginning.
Want to take a deeper dive into the story of this remarkable find? Tap the link in our bio to watch the #BCST we did with our colleague Dr. Grant Zazula on steppe bison in the Yukon.
#palaeontology #FieldFriday #TB #bison #steppe #iceage #paleontology #paleo #naturelover #beringia #yukon #exploreyukon