Foreign [Music] the Grand Canyon marked by stratified bands of Red Rock is one of the most notable natural landforms in the United States and the entire world
nicknamed the basement of History it is an embodiment of rock layers with each Rock representing a distinct prehistoric period since the Earth’s Genesis recently a group of experts researched the Grand Canyon what they discovered will change the course of history and our knowledge about the historic structure but what exactly did they discover and how will this affect the Grand Canyon join us as we explore scientists terrifying discoveries in the Grand Canyon number 10 some weird prehistoric life forms found in the Grand Canyon the discovery of life form began when a massive Rock tumbled down from a towering Cliff revealing some markings Alan Krill a geologist was on a hiking trip with his student as he moved along the Grand Canyon National Park’s Bright Angel Trail his Keen Eye spotted an unusual rock with distinct marks that seemed like Footprints an intrigued Krill took some pictures of these markings and sent them to his old friend and colleague Stephen Roland a paleontologist at the University of Nevada Las Vegas renowned for his excavation of the Washoe hunting ground a 200 year old butchering site found in Carson City from Roland’s analysis of the photos he received it turned out that krill’s discoveries were ancient fossilized tracks Roland suggested the footprints to be as old as 313 million years old making the fossil the oldest and the earliest evidence of vertebrate animals ever found in the Grand Canyon this animal print on dunes was proposed to have belonged to an amniote a hard-shelled egg-laying animal so how did the footprint remain well preserved until its Discovery The Rock bearing the markings weighs hundreds of pounds and had fallen from the monocacacha formation a large outcropping of sandstone that’s about 314 million years old the sand was a significant factor that helped to preserve fossil markings for millions of years going deep into the analysis Roland discovered that the fossil markings depict two separate reptilian animals crossing diagonally over this Boulder he also noted that one of the animals was a foot long and employs a sideways stepping pattern this lateral sequence is when an animal moves the left rear foot in succession with the left front followed by the right rear and then the right front although scientists are still curious whether the tracks were from two separate reptilians or the same animal at different times this is because the second set of tracks seems to move slightly faster than the first which this made Roland conclude that the lateral sequence gate is common among tetrapods four-legged vertebrates whichever way the markings show the early presence of crawling vertebrates which had never been found elsewhere until now the finding also serves as prehistoric evidence of amniotes living in Dunes predating other evidence by at least eight million years despite Roland’s Discovery some scientists believed his study to be controversial a paleontology program manager at the Grand Canyon Mark neibel said there is a significant disagreement within the scientific Community regarding the interpretation of tracks and determining the age of rocks this made Roland’s analysis controversial and particularly challenging because it’s impossible to determine the creature responsible for these tracks Nebel however Praises Krill for the find as The Rock carrying the prince was located where a lot of people had passed without spotting them Number Nine Grand Canyon caves with Sloth dung and mummified bats most people have no idea that the grand Canyon’s Cliffs have caves embedded in them the inside of these caves are filled with several remains of plants and animals which give us an insight into the Region’s past in the days of the Ice Age the cave also varies in size as some can be so narrow to enter you would have to be on all fours and While others are roomy enough to spin in without touching the walls either way these caves have been a perfect habitat for wood rats bats Birds and the now extinct mountain goats and sloths due to Arizona’s dry climate the bones of these animals were exceptionally well preserved in their dry state this remarkable preservation allowed researchers to gain valuable insights into the events that took place forty thousand years ago during the Ice Age scientists study of these fossils started with the rampart cave which was discovered in 1936 at the Far Western end of the canyon at an elevation of 534 meters scientists found several piled up dungs like bowling balls scattered on the floor and they looked as though they were excreted in recent times however it was discovered that they were made by a roughly nine foot long 500 pound sloth that had been extinct for over ten thousand years when these dungs were analyzed through radiocarbon dating they were said to have been in the cave for a long period between 11 to 40 000 years old plant matter detected in the feces helped scientists figure out the eating habits of these wild creatures also the matter provided details about Regional plants including Globe mallow Mormon tea salt Bush cat claw cacti Reeds and yucca which had existed on this landscape neat piles of wood rats dumps also served as tangible records of animals and plant remains that had existed undisturbed on the Grand Canyon for thousands of years also discovered in the cave were the skulls of Harrington mountain goats paleontologist Chester stock in the 1930s was the first to describe these animals believing they had existed for at least 19 000 years and disappeared alongside the Shasha ground sloth a distinct giant hairy nothrotheraps also he recorded that Harrington’s were a smaller short-haired version of the modern mountain goat the cave also houses mummified bats including Condors that are exceptionally well preserved according to Steve emsley a biology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington some condors and their tissues are preserved so effectively that even the skin and other details are intact on certain bones emsley an expert on birds explored the caves alongside Mead an anthropologist when emsley conducted chemical analysis on the dried out tissue remnants of the Condors he found that the Grand Canyon Condors likely fed on megafauna which later became extinct this Extinction caused death to the mummified bats number eight the Colorado River is almost dried up the Colorado River originates in the Rocky Mountains in the southwestern United States with a distance spanning approximately 1450 miles it flows through deep canyons and rugged terrain carving out stunning Landscapes along its course one of the most famous sections of the river is the Grand Canyon where its powerful force has shaped a breathtaking natural wonder the river channels water through deserts waterfalls and canyons and runs across the Lush Wetlands by a vast Delta in Mexico and into the Gulf of California as it flows through the Grand Canyon where it’s utilized for kayaking canoeing and excursions unfortunately scientists have discovered that the river will soon dry up if proper measures are not taken environmentalists believe that the problem has been building for decades but has come to a head in recent years because the major reservoirs on the river have fallen to dangerously low levels because the western states build dams and divert flow into cities such as Los Angeles Phoenix San Diego and other fast-growing cities this has decreased inflow into the former Grand River one of these dams created is the Glen Canyon Dam Engineers may be satisfied that the dam diverts the Colorado River but environmentalists believe it’s been nothing but a danger to the river since its creation the river still flows fine at the Grand Canyon and boaters are still seen cruising across Nevada and Arizona’s Lake Mead which is the largest Reservoir in the United States by water capacity but at the Lake’s Edge lines of the rock walls are visible showing the water level is far below where it was once the Glen Canyon is 50 years old and is the force responsible for the creation of Lake Powell Lake Powell is a man-made Reservoir created by the flooding of the Glen Canyon Dam and even though the dam was created for a hydropower boost the water levels are too low to produce any and if this continues water will not be able to flow Down the River due to the Dam’s positioning which would have a negative impact on the water supply for the people of California Arizona Mexico and even Nevada this prompted environmental groups to call on politicians to invest in reshaping The Glenn Dam’s plumbing system with an update in the dam system there will be enough room for water to flow into the Colorado River hopefully this is done soon before we lose one of the world’s natural wonders number seven uranium deposit found in the Grand Canyon the Grand Canyon is a spiritual and cultural Homeland to at least 11 Native American tribes one would think a place like this would be safe from something like uranium contamination but the reverse is the case there are numerous uranium mines and hundreds of mining claims located outside the boundaries of the park posing a serious threat to the preservation of this extraordinary Gorge uranium deposits are located deep within layers of sandstone siltstone and mudstone throughout the Southwest in the Grand Canyon region specifically uranium ore is found in geological formations known as brechia pipes a region that first attracted miners in the 1870s the history of uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park dates back to the 1950s when operations began at orphan mine located just two miles from Grand Canyon Village over the years a total of at least eight uranium mines have operated close to the park among them is the currently active Canyon mine which has been renamed pinyon plain mine the highest grade uranium mine being developed in the U.S this mine poses a threat to the springs inside the Grand Canyon during the mid-2000s there was a significant increase in the price of uranium prompting companies to flock to the Grand Canyon region in search of opportunities to extract its relatively small quantities of high-grade ore by the end of the decade thousands of mining claims had been established on public lands surrounding Grand Canyon National Park with the collective efforts of Anglers local governments hunters and Native communities a successful campaign was carried out to secure a temporary mining ban in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon one of these groups is the Havasupai tribe whose reservation lies in the depths of the canyon and depend on a spring-fed creek flowing through their Village for drinking cooking and irrigating their corn in Alfalfa fields in addition to various ceremonial and cultural purposes they express concerns that Canyon mine might pollute the underground water that sustains the Springs within their Village in 2012 a 20-year ban on uranium mining was initiated on approximately 1 million Acres of public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon however this relief is only temporary which gives the supai’s village some reprieve but it seems mining companies are simply eagerly awaiting the premature lifting or expiration of the ban as of May 2022 nearly 600 mining claims remained active on national forests and other public lands in the vicinity of the Grand Canyon this is despite the multiple attempts made by the Congress to pass legislation that would permanently prohibit new mining operations in the area surrounding the park number six the mogulon monster perhaps one of the most fascinating Tales you must have heard about the Grand Canyon is that of the mogulon monster also known as Arizona’s Bigfoot the majority of these monsters were believed to inhabit the dense forest landscape of the mogulon rim this two thousand foot high cliff stretches from northern Yavapai County to the border with New Mexico the first sighting of the ape-like monster occurred near the Grand Canyon dates back to 1903.
Ingvald Walter Stevens an explorer who had an encounter with the Beast described it as a large hairy humanoid creature similar to the legendary Bigfoot or Sasquatch he revealed that it possesses immense strength agility and the ability to move stealthily through the rugged Woods of the canyon even cryptozoologist Enthusiast Don Davis believed in the existence of mogulon he held this belief due to an experience he had during his mid-1940s when on a Boy Scout trip near Payson Davis claimed to have laid eyes on a large hairy creature with expressionless eyes and a square-shaped face and head according to anecdotal reports found on the canyon the creature is believed to be over seven feet tall walks upright has at least two inch long claws covered in shaggy hair and emits a pungent odor similar to dead fish or rotting meat and due to its adaptive nature the Beast tends to mimic the noises of wildlife in its surroundings no wonder reports State the creature gives off an eerie sound similar to a woman’s scream in great Peril well Stevens and Davis’s testimonies have failed to convince most scientists who attribute these sightings either to a bluff or the assumed monster may have been a large standing grizzly bear since the existence of this creature is yet to be confirmed to this day if you ever hear a piercing scream or come across a set of impossibly wide footprints on the mogulon rim run and never look back because the wild man of the rock might be lurking deep in the woods waiting for the perfect moment to strike or at the very least raid your tent raid number five the Grand Canyon luxury Suite that is also a cave as the Cuban missile crisis of 1961 was still heating up and fears of bombing lingered on John F Kennedy the then president of the United States of America took a step ahead to create a safe place in case the bombs decided to explode on Americans so he found the Grand Canyon to be the perfect spot for these protective measures there he built luxury Suite caves and supplied each cave with enough food to support over 2 000 people for at least a month as the bomb never dropped the suite which took four months to complete became a tourist spot where visitors to the Grand Canyon can still take refuge nestled about 220 feet beneath the surface and referred to as the world’s quietest darkest and oldest underground hotel this remarkable geological Marvel boasts caverns and walls dating back over 65 million years the emergency rations stored remained fresh and usable even after 40 years this is possible because the Grand Canyon naturally has a dry climate which preserves everything in it as for amenities the lounge area has a television record player beds and a library to ensure the comfort of those in the suite in addition to that this special Suite even has running water but only because several hundreds of gallons are brought down to the cave by hand thanks to the super dry zero underground humidity climate these Edibles are still usable to this day because of the dry conditions no other form of life including rats insects and other animals can survive living at this depth to ruin the stash either however it’s not entirely private the suite is shown as part of the attractions in the National Park to experience this luxury you have to pay a night rate of nine hundred dollars number four the terrifying creation of the Grand Canyon the Grand Canyon stretches approximately 277 miles long up to 18 miles wide and reaches a depth of over a mile its sheer size and the intricate layers of rock exposed along its walls provide a unique geological record spanning billions of years of Earth’s history the story of the Grand Canyon begins roughly 70 million years ago during the late Cretaceous Period when the region was a relatively flat landscape over time tectonic activity and the uplift of the Colorado Plateau caused the land to rise setting the stage for the Canyon’s formation around 6 million years ago the Colorado River which flows through the region today started to carve its way through the rising Plateau as the river cut deeper and deeper into the Rock layers it exposed a wide range of geologic formations showcasing millions of years of Earth’s history as the Colorado River continued to flow it eroded the layers of sedimentary rock primarily composed of sandstone Limestone and Shale that make up the canyon walls while the river was the main driver of the grand Canyon’s formation other factors also played a role climate changes over millions of years influence the rate of erosion with colder periods increasing the power of glaciers and freeze thaw cycles and warmer periods allowing for more abundant water flow Additionally the presence of harder Rock layers such as resistant sandstones slowed down erosion in some areas resulting in the formation of dramatic Cliffs and steep slopes visitors to the Grand Canyon can witness the ongoing process of erosion as the Colorado River continues to shape and reshape this remarkable natural wonder it stands as a testament to the dynamic forces of nature and serves as a vivid reminder of the Earth’s geological past number three the case of Disappearing and reappearing bodies in 2021 a body was found at the Grand Canyon about 430 feet below the rim at Yavapai point the body was believed to belong to a 45 year old Hungarian man Gabor burchie tongsanyi after his family reported that he was missing to the Las Vegas police the police swung into action while on the lookout they found the Hungarian man’s car and belongings at the park Visitors Center as they searched further his body was found 131 meters below the rim of the canyon this was a shock to those involved in the search however what startled them even further was the discovery of another body in close proximity the body belonged to Scott Walsh who was last seen disembarking from a shuttle bus at the south rim of the park in 2015.
His body was found at almost five kilometers the clothing had Blended in with the surroundings and the body was positioned in a way that made it almost undetectable no one knows why the authorities couldn’t find these bodies earlier then a discovery answered everything you see the Grand Canyon is often referred to as a layer cake of geological history with its rock formation stacked neatly as they have been for some millions of years however deep within the canyon lies a huge gap between rocks that had kept many Secrets hidden away from the human eye recent discoveries have started to shine light on the mysterious space which has explained why we keep stumbling on new bodies we never thought existed on the canyon now it’s time for today’s subscriber pick while looking for more mysterious discoveries within the Canyon’s gaps a large and box-like structure was discovered and pulled up from the canyon everyone was puzzled by what could be in this box could it contain bodies that were buried by Native Americans from long ago that inhabited the canyon or could it contain secrets about the mogulon monster due to concerns and fears surrounding the mysterious box it was never opened what do you believe was in the Box would you have opened the box number two the tusayan ruins the Grand Canyon area has witnessed the lives of many creatures each with their unique stories some pass through fleetingly While others choose to establish lasting Roots one of those with established Roots at the Grand Canyon are the ancestral puebloans who are believed to be relatives of the modern day Hopi Zuni and other puebloan tribes data from the two rings of juniper trees common among Pueblo and dwellings showed that the tusayan settlement located a few miles from the southern edge of the Grand Canyon was built around 1185 A.D with the constructed agricultural Fields communal buildings established homes and religious structures in these ancient dwellings archaeologists had concluded that ancient life in this area dates back to 800 years ago the tusayan ruins is a Central Plaza surrounded by storage rooms living quarters and kivas the plaza faced South to attract the sun in the cooler Seasons the living quarters consisted of a single story of rock and wood with about three or four main rooms storage rooms held food that was dried to preserve it during harsh winter months the ruins contained two kivas which are ceremonial structures that modern puebloans still use for religious ceremonies and festivals to date kivas are circular below the ground and accessed by a ladder through a hole in the roof many Hopi who are native American ethnic groups believe they entered this world through kivas but the presence of the Kaibab limestone a resistant Cliff forming stone prevented the ancient people from digging very far into the ground to build their kivas with National Park Service permission archaeologists from Gila Pueblo in Globe Arizona excavated the site in the 1930s to show their commitment the group promised to build a museum nearby to interpret the site and agreed that half of any artifacts they uncovered would remain at the Grand Canyon the built Museum initially called the Wayside Museum of archeology is now the popular to Scion Museum it’s a small square two-room Building made mostly of stone with some wooden beams it looks like it could have Blended in seamlessly with the Pueblo and settlement 800 years ago since its launch in 1932 exhibits cover both the archaeological and modern history of five major tribes within the Grand Canyon the Havasupai Hopi Hualapai Navajo and Paiute highlight their enduring and strong historical connections with the area one of the most significant exhibits is a display of split twig figurines dating back two thousand to four thousand years though they were not found at Tucson ruin itself these figurines collected from caves in the Grand Canyon speak to the Long human Presence at the Grand Canyon and its use by Native Americans number one the Havasupai tribe the Havasupai people also known as the Havasu Baja primarily reside in Supai a tributary Canyon within the Grand Canyon it is one of the smallest American Indian nations in the United States and the only place where mail is sent and delivered by mule however their presence extended across a wider region reaching as far south as Bill Williams mountain and East to the little Colorado River their actual living location is up and down the vertical layers of the grand depending on what the season is like this means during the fall and winter they inhabited the Colorado Plateau located at the Canyon’s Rim engaging in hunting and Gathering activities for sustenance while in spring and summer Havasupai families cultivated the Tonto platform including Indian Garden and other fertile areas cultivating crops like corn beans squash melons and pumpkins sometimes families would go up to the plateau to visit their friends and Hunt they often carry out periodic inspections of their Farms to prevent drought the people constructed shelters alongside the fields to protect their crops from the insects and pests of the region the tribe’s architecture and sleeping pattern is odd their shelter is round roofed made with thatch Willow and straight brush at night they lay their heads on mattresses positioning their face to the east which they believed will help prevent nightmares having lived for thousands of years on the canyon the Havasupai people did not come in contact with any European explorer until Spanish priest Francisco Garces visited Havasu Canyon in 1776.
Garces also traveled to the Hopi mesas an ancient Pueblo Village at the top and his findings shed light on a secluded Supai village located east towards moinkopi wash well above the Grand Canyon also in the late 1880s the tribe experienced a euro-america intrusion these Euro America newcomers explored the trail set by the puebloans Havasupai and ancient Hopi while exploring the Tonto Fields they discovered ancient irrigation ditches and Farms which were eventually named the Indian Garden a name it retains to date the Supai people’s home started to receive more attention when the Santa Fe railroad opened a path to the Grand Canyon in September 1901.
Two years later president Theodore Roosevelt visited the canyon and traveled down the bright angel Trail during his descent he encountered two Havasupai individuals who lived with their families at Indian Garden Roosevelt informed them about an upcoming Park that would be established and they would need to leave Indian Garden one of the Havasupai individuals followed Roosevelt’s request and moved with his family to a cave higher up along the bright angel Trail however he continued to farm in Indian Garden the other Havasupai man chose to stay in Indian Garden with his wife they remained there until they were forcefully removed by the National Park Service in 1928.
After this the United States government confined the Havasupai to a 518-acre reservation in Havasu Canyon a part of their ancestral home but this wasn’t enough and the Havasupai demanded more of their lands that request was granted in 1975 with President Gerald Ford returning 183 thousand of Canyon Rim territory back to the tribe since then the locals have adjusted to the new circumstances surrounding their new environment and their means of survival are based on tourism farming and wage labor we hope you enjoyed this video and we’ll see you in the next one
