. . .Fossil">fossils as clues to the geologic history and development of the canyon.

Palo Duro Canyon is unique among Texas’ State parks because of its many contributions to history, archeology, and geology. Here the written record, the artifacts of prehistoric man, and the geologic formations overlap and complement each other in many respects. Although this guidebook is primarily concerned with the geologic history of the canyon, a brief review of its human history is also included.

ANCIENT MAN IN PALO DURO CANYON

Archeological studies indicate that the earliest known inhabitants of Palo Duro Canyon lived in the canyon from about 10,000 to 5,000 B.C. These early men apparently hunted the bison and now-extinct elephant-like mammoths that roamed the Palo Duro area during the Ice Age of Pleistocene time (see geologic time scale, fig. 6). Their stone weapons and other artifacts have been found in and around the canyon. It is assumed that these primi. . . Read More