Prologue: This Time ~ Our Time

There is a saying that rocks tell stories. That they do.  Wading through the rock, bone and dust of an ancient sea bed in the high, wind-ravaged deserts of Southern Utah opens the door to a whole new world. A 93 million year old world of sea monsters, land monsters, birds and sharks which comes alive under todays scorching summer sun.

Under the scorching sun is where this paleontological story begins, or ends, which includes rare finds in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. This is a story of how water-bound, marine, reptiles ended up in the middle of the wind-blown deserts of Southern Utah; how a large, ancient, ten-foot, feathered dinosaur ended up 60 miles out in an ancient sea; a 14 year old with a passion, and the growing Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument finds.

The Cast:

David Rankin - Currently a Park Ranger at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and in school at the University of Utah. Discoverer "Eopolycotylus rankini" a new species of pliosaur and several other finds locally. Raised in Big Water, UT and my oldest son.

Dr. David Gillette - Colbert Curator of Geology at the Museum of Northern Arizona

Dr. Alan Titus - Paleontologist for the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Southern Utah

Dr. L. Barry Albright - Paleontologist, author of several books and publications, was working at MNA during digs.

Merle Graffam, a local amateur paleontologist,  discoverer of N.graffami, a Therizinosaur.

Heather Rankin, (me)  mom to 4 children, now mostly grown, grandma, musician and Realtor

A Beginning.

The summer of 2000 I was fortunate enough to spend some 200 hours in the field with Dr. Dave Gillette and a crew from the Museum of Northern Arizona digging what turned out to be one of the best specimens of a plesiosaur ever found, a rare dinosaur and several other critters.

Plesiosaurs were water bound marine reptiles which lived at the time of the dinosaurs, but in the oceans and seaways. Much like what we might think of as the Loch Ness Monster - these plesiosaurs had a very short, thick, necks and a 4 foot long jaws. They moved through the water, probably by undulating, with their four flippers - two in the front and two in the back. 

There were few animals in the ancient ocean which could give a full grown plesiosaur a rough time.  Ammonites, fish, turtles, sharks and clams all thrived in the ocean, along with the pleisosaurs, until the ocean dried up.  93 million years later, this world would again come to life, this time with bones, wires and glue, when a 14 year-old set out on his path across the desert.

Reviews

[Wolfwind Words]

Wonderful beginning! Reads like a movie opening into the mind! I look forward to what comes next in this journey! The descriptive images are chiseled and clear in your work, which makes for the piece to jump out and become full and robust. I find that works well to get readers captivated right from the start!

Great Ink!

[Arianna]

this was a really great begining.
i like it its very detailed and interesting.
makes me want to read more.
:D

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[Lou Briggs]

This is fascinating! Not only is this the first worthwhile non-fiction I've read on this site, but, after googling Dr. David Gillette's name, I know it's true =D, which adds a real wow factor to it.

Also, your pictures are good. I don't usually like when people post pictures in their story, but these are necessary.

You're a very lucky woman. I'm pretty sure all children and most adults still love dinosaurs.

Good job! Wish it was longer, and I am looking forward to reading more!

-Lou

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[KATHY SUE SILLS]

Excellent begining! What you've let me veiw thus for sounds intresting and inviting. Can't wait to read more!

[An owl on the moon]

You've set the stage for a brilliant exposition of the mystery of life that once was... Here beneath our feet lie a million untold stories.. I can't wait to read more of yours!

[Creepy Swine Guy]

My curiosity is mildly piqued. You have done a good technical job of setting this up and I shall make plans to investigate your next posting.

Wow this is really interesting, hope you add more.