约翰迪化石床国家纪念地中的彩绘山，俄勒冈州，美国 The Painted Hills in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon (© Ben Herndon/Tandem Stills + Motion)

约翰迪化石床国家纪念地中的彩绘山，俄勒冈州，美国 The Painted Hills in John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon (© Ben Herndon/Tandem Stills + Motion)

消失的回声 Echoes of extinction

彩绘山，俄勒冈州

为了庆祝国际化石日，今天我们一起来了解一下位于俄勒冈州的约翰迪化石床国家纪念地中那迷人的彩绘山。一层层色彩鲜艳又富含粘土的土壤构成了彩绘山迷人的景观。此外，这些山丘还记录了该区域数百年以来的气候和生态系统的变化。在这里，游客们可以自由地参观博物馆内陈列着的动植物化石。在纪念地的克拉诺单元，人们可以一窥负鼠化石、岳齿兽化石、剑齿虎化石和海龟化石的风采，而这些遗迹也在提醒着人们，我们的星球曾活力无限、生机勃勃。

National Fossil Day

For National Fossil Day, we're looking at the mesmerizing Painted Hills, found in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. Those stripes of red, tan, orange, and black were formed over tens of millions of years, the different layers in the claystone hills reflecting changes in the climate over that period. The monument itself is divided into three units, Painted Hills, Clarno, and Sheep Rock. In the latter, you'll find the Thomas Condon Visitor Center with a paleontology lab and a museum displaying hundreds of fossils. In the fossil beds, the remains of more than 100 species of mammals have been found, including saber-toothed tigers, turtles, and opossums, as well as many fossilized plant species. While the landscape might sometimes look otherworldly, it offers us a peek into Earth's dynamic and fascinating history.