Wyoming
Why Scientists Are Going Bonkers Over Four 38-Million-Year-Old…
Around 38 million years ago, three small snakes slithered into a burrow seeking shelter from an apocalypse blanketing their world in volcanic ash. They never escaped, becoming entombed in the spot where they sought sanctuary in what would far into their future become Wyoming.
The misfortune of the small snakes has become a boon for paleontologists. New research published by a team from the University of Alberta has gained critical insight into the elusive history of prehistoric snakes.
“We’ve never had a good fossil record of these snakes,” said Michael Caldwell, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. “Here, we’ve got three really lovely specimens in one burrow, which gives us the information we need to investigate the origins and evolutionary history of an enigmatic group of living, burrowing snakes.”
White River Wyoming
The White River Formation is a layer of rock deposited during the Paleogene Period. Caldwell described it as a time of weird mammals and widespread volcanic activity in North America.
“The rocks of the White River Formation are 38 million years old, give or take a week or two,” he said. “It’s white because the sediments are heavily dominated by volcanic ash mixed with sand and fine-grained silt. Volcanic ash events were continual and caused several disasters.”
The fossils from the White River Formation are legendary. Large and small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles are immaculately preserved in the ash-dominated rock.
“We find early dogs and cats, and saber-toothed relatives of cats that aren’t the same saber-tooths of the mammoth and mastodon,” Caldwell said. “Early bunny rabbits, all kinds of lizards, turtles, big-bodied mammals, early chameleons. The White River stuff is just amazing.”
There are legendary exposures of the White River Formation in Wyoming, particularly around Douglas. That’s where the University of Wyoming was excavating in 1976, when researchers found the three small snakes that are leaving a big impact.
Breithaupt’s Hibernating Snake
The fossilized snakes were collected with several other White River fossils during UW’s 1976 field project in Douglas. Aside from a 1997 paper written by paleontologist Brent Breithaupt, the UW Geological Museum’s collection manager at the time, the snakes haven’t garnered much attention until recently.
“I was talking with Brent, and he offered me the opportunity to work on the material in the early 2000s,” Caldwell said. “It took me a while to find a grad student to put on the project, and then it took us a while to get the paper written once she had graduated.”
That grad student, Jasmine Croghan, is the lead author of the paper describing the Wyoming White River snakes. The new species was called Hibernophis breithaupti, honoring Breithaupt and his original hypotheses about the unique discovery.
“Brent’s paper interpreted them as a hibernating assemblage of snakes,” Caldwell said. “That’s why we named them Hibernophis, the hibernating snake.”
A Den Of Beautiful Snakes
When describing a new species of prehistoric animal, the Holy Grail for paleontologists is a complete specimen.
Croghan, Caldwell and the other scientists studying the White River snakes had four of them, all nearly perfect skeletons to study, all collected near Douglas.
Snakes from the White River Formation aren’t well-known in the fossil record. Paleontologists have acquired most of their knowledge on their biology and evolutionary history from isolated fragments or individual bones.
“There are millions of isolated snake vertebrae in museum collections around the world, but very few articulated snakes,” he said. “As terrifying and robust as a snake might appear, they’re not held together very tightly. When they die, their bits and pieces wash about and they become disarticulated very easily.”
Caldwell said the three snakes found in the burrow, and a fourth specimen found nearby, are the most complete specimens of their kind ever found in the White River Formation.
“This particular trio of snakes are beautifully preserved,” he said. “We have almost everything in the anatomy of these little snakes, from the tips of their noses to the tips of their tails. They’re only missing the very tip of the tail, but everything else is there.”
Caldwell explained that “without going into the gory details about snake bony anatomy,” that Hibernophis is a kind of rubber boa, a smaller member of the boid family of snakes, which includes anacondas and boa constrictors.
While boids were and are widespread throughout the Americas, their evolutionary history remained an enigma until the discovery of Hibernophis. Wyoming’s White River snakes have provided critical insight into their evolutionary story.
Boid Behavior
While the anatomy and evolutionary significance of Hibernophis is exciting, the discovery revealed equally exciting information on the behavior of the 38-million-year-old snake. Caldwell said the preservation of three snakes in one burrow is significant.
“We have something that we never find in the fossil record,” he said. “Here we have three of these little rubber boas all curled up together in this ancient mammal burrow. One of them is substantially larger than the other two, so you can put on your natural history hat and start imagining what this could be.”
Whatever it was that drove the snakes into the burrow, which had been dug by a burrowing mammal, the snakes didn’t mind sharing the same space.
“We don’t know why they were there, but they were comfortable being together wherever they were,” he said. “Which means there is social behavior of snakes preserved in the fossil record.”
There’s a modern precedent for this behavior in snakes. Thousands of garter snakes in cold climates have been found living together in holes, entering a prolonged stupor while surviving from their collective body heat in what’s called a hibernaculum.
The three Hibernophis specimens may have perished in their hibernaculum, but more research would be needed to prove this. Regardless, Caldwell said the discovery is a rare and exciting instance of prehistoric behavior preserved in the fossil record.
“Most people think of reptiles as dim-witted, cold-blooded, not very social and with no maternal care,” he said. “The usual non-mammal analogies. Could this be a parent and a couple of young ones? Or is it possible that we’ve got a fright response and they’ve all ended up in a burrow together in the midst of a volcanic ash event? Or were they preparing for a cold weather season? We don’t know.”
Rediscovering Discoveries
The four specimens of Hibernophis breithaupti are in the collections of the UW Geological Museum. Caldwell and the other scientists briefly took the fossils to the University of Alberta for research and then to Austin, Texas, for a micro-CT scan.
“That’s how we found the third specimen,” he said. “It was inside the block and wasn’t clearly visible on the surface since it’s slightly below the other two.”
A major scientific discovery usually raises more questions than it answers. Thanks to the discovery of Hibernophis, Caldwell anticipates a flurry of scientific inquiries will be pursued.
“Every good answer just rattles a whole series of questions even harder,” he said. “Are there more specimens of Hibernophis? What would that have to say about the hypotheses that we’ve put forward in this recent publication? How does new material and new information change what we think we know about the interrelationships of these animals with all other birds and snakes, both fossil and living?
“You end up with more questions to ask from every answer that you put forward.”
For Caldwell, another major takeaway from the study of Hibernophis was its “rediscovery” in the collections of the UW Geological Museum. He believes more future paleontological discoveries will come from already-excavated fossils sitting on the dusty shelves of museums.
“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of specimens hiding away in museum collections that have never been examined,” he said. “The next places to go are out into the field and down into museum collections. Several places have good White River Formation collections. We need to see if there’s anything in those collections that’s been missed.”
Yesterday And Today
While these Hibernophis died in an ash-filled burrow 38 million years ago, their boid descendants survived into the present day. Rubber boas are everywhere in Wyoming, although they can be hard to find.
“These boas alive today are part of that same radiation as are these fossil ones,” he said. “They’re small-bodied night feeders that are rather secretive and spend a lot of time hiding in the sand, so very few people see them. They’re common in the pet trade if you’re into a rubber boa that stays buried in the sand in your terrarium all day, which I’m not.”
The anatomy and behavior of Wyoming’s modern-day boids might shed more insight into the world of their prehistoric ancestors preserved in the White River Formation. Hibernophis has established itself as another jewel in the ornate crown of Wyoming paleontological discoveries.
“With Hibernophis, we fill in a science gap and get some insights on prehistoric snake behavior,” Caldwell said. “It’s a great story and three really lovely specimens.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
One of the biggest auto and truck collections in Wyoming is about to go up for auction. You are not going to believe the size of this event. Chunks of old classics to working old cars and trucks will be on the block.
Watch the video below as they preview the Rick Knigge Collection up for auction in Evansville, Wyoming. This auction will feature many hot rod project bodies, muscle cars, old trucks, Jeeps, rock crawlers, and more. This will all be sold by VanDerBrink Auctions with online and live bidding.
The auction will be held Saturday, July 8th. Some of the auctions will be online, but some will be in person only.
According to the website, Rick passed away unexpectedly, and his family decided to offer this wild collection at auction. The auction will be live onsite with online bidding for vehicles, motors, bodies, and a few other items. There is a large assortment of 1932-35 Ford, MOPAR, Chevrolet parts, performance parts, Tri-Five, and more. These parts will be offered only to onsite bidders, so plan now to attend this wild auction.
Rick Knigge Liked to “Go Fast”! The louder, faster, the better! There are many 1932-40 Ford, Dodge, Plymouth, Chevrolet Cars and Bodies for Rods along with parts!
Here is a second video with more about Rick and the collection he loved.
The collection has muscle cars from a Plymouth GTX to Chevelles and Camaros, and more. 1970- 80s speed boats, Monster Trucks, just to name a few. There will be motors, high-performance, and vintage speed parts.
You are not going to believe the size of this event. Chunks of old classics to working old cars and trucks will be on the block.
SEE: 39 Hot Cars On Display In Wyoming
The goal of this gallery is not to provide every detail of every car, their modifications and their owners.
This was just a cool car show in Casper Wyoming.
Not matter if the people attending were into cars or not.
There was a lot of OHHH and AHHH’s heard up and down every street.
Gallery Credit: Glenn Woods
Wyoming
American Rare Earths strengthens board with veteran Wyoming mine builder ahead of planned Nasdaq listing
Veteran mine builder Matthew Gili will join American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR, OTCQX:ARRNF)’s board as a non-executive director as the company advances the Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project in Wyoming and prepares for a planned Nasdaq compliance listing in H2 2026.
Gili is currently president and CEO of Ur-Energy Inc, a NYSE American and TSX-listed Wyoming uranium producer, and brings more than 25 years of mine development and operational experience across major global mining groups including Rio Tinto and Barrick.
His appointment remains subject to completion of Australian regulatory formalities, which American Rare Earths expects to be completed shortly.
Once formally appointed, Gili will join the company’s Technical Committee and contribute to the Definitive Feasibility Study workstream at Halleck Creek, which American Rare Earths describes as the largest known rare earth deposit in the United States on a total rare earth oxide basis.
Board renewal ahead of US listing plans
The appointment forms part of a broader board renewal process as ARR works toward a Nasdaq compliance dual-listing in H2 2026, while retaining the ASX as its primary listing.
The company is also considering a full US domicile in 2027, subject to a prospective shareholder vote.
CEO Mark Wall said Gili’s operational experience and Wyoming background would strengthen the board as Halleck Creek moves toward construction and production.
“The intended addition of Matt to our Board of Directors further demonstrates our commitment to advancing the largest rare earth element deposit on a total contained rare earths basis in the United States toward construction and operations. Matt brings a tremendous blend of mining technical expertise and Wyoming-specific experience to both the Board and the Technical Committee. His depth of operational knowledge, his relationships in Wyoming, and his proven track record of delivering world-class mining projects, including building the first new copper mine in the United States in a decade, make him exactly the right person to help us get Halleck Creek built.
“As we progress toward our NASDAQ listing later this year, appointments of this calibre send a clear message to U.S. investors about the quality of the team and the seriousness of our intent. Matt’s experience managing ISR uranium operations in Wyoming gives him first-hand knowledge of the hydrometallurgical processing chemistry that will be central to bringing Halleck Creek into production. The parallels between uranium and rare earth processing are substantial and practically meaningful. This is not simply a credential; it is operational expertise that will directly benefit our Technical Committee and Feasibility Study.”
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile
The Seminoe pumped-water storage hydroelectric project in Carbon County advanced toward final approval this month, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued its environmental impact statement, leaving critics warning of potential fish kills and other risks to wildlife.
Though the newest plan to minimize myriad impacts to fisheries, wildlife and local recreation economies makes concessions “around the margins,” project skeptics say the FERC ignored calls — including from local and state elected officials — to make more meaningful changes regarding threats, including to a “blue ribbon” trout fishery and a vital bighorn sheep herd.
“I’m very disheartened by the final EIS,” Trout Unlimited’s Wyoming Government Relations Director Patrick Harrington told WyoFile.
The plan still doesn’t mandate operational responses that would effectively prevent a trout kill in the prized Miracle Mile of the North Platte River immediately downstream of Seminoe Reservoir due to the threat of rising water temperatures, Harrington said. Trout are a cold-water species and particularly sensitive to warmer temperatures. Groups like Trout Unlimited and Friends of the North Platte have warned that even one day of higher-than-tolerable water temperatures could result in a devastating fish kill.
The potential for a Miracle Mile fish kill still exists, Harrington said, because FERC declined to update its water forecast modeling to include more recent climate-change analysis that shows higher temperatures and lower annual snowpack for cold water runoff. That leaves the protocol to respond to rising water temperatures woefully inadequate.
“It still leaves serious risk to fisheries — and those go back to our concerns over the data that informs the [water quality] model,” Harrington said.
The revised plan also retains multiple waivers to bypass seasonal construction limitations designed to protect wildlife, including the Ferris-Seminoe bighorn sheep herd. Developer rPlus Hydro says the waivers are vital to the economic feasibility for what it hopes will be a five-year construction period. Complying with the slate of seasonal wildlife restrictions will add major cost, the company has testified.
“These [wildlife timing restrictions] did not come as a surprise to them,” Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation Executive Director Katie Cheesbrough said, adding that granting waivers of science-backed protections would set a dangerous precedent for other industrial projects in the state. “Those wildlife restrictions were publicly available, and they knew that going into it. If it was going to make the project cost-prohibitive, then they shouldn’t do the project. It’s not on Wyoming to ensure that [wildlife protections] are within their cost range.”
rPlus Hydro responds
The Utah-based company proposes building a 13,400-acre-foot reservoir in the Bennett Mountains overlooking Seminoe Reservoir near the dam — one of several reservoirs on the North Platte River. The $4 billion facility would pump water uphill during daytime “off-peak demand” hours for electricity when wind and solar power are plentiful and wholesale electricity is cheapest, according to rPlus Hydro.
“Think of it as a ‘water battery’ that stores energy generated when demand is low,” the company told WyoFile. “When demand increases, water is released from the upper reservoir back into Seminoe, driving hydroelectric turbines to produce electricity.”
Skeptics in Wyoming have cast doubt on the necessity and consumer benefit of the electrical generation daily balance strategy.
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This map depicts the Seminoe pumped water storage hydroelectric project area. (Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality)
For its part, the company contends that the Seminoe pumped-water storage project represents a $200 million annual savings to ratepayers. A company representative also told WyoFile the FERC’s final EIS “confirms the project is needed for future energy growth and reliability while also safeguarding both the North Platte River and bighorn sheep.”
rPlus Hydro Deputy General Counsel Kevin Baker pointed to the fact that the Wyoming Department of Quality granted a “section 401” water quality certificate for the project earlier this year. The state certificate is proof that “the project will not harm downstream waters, including the Miracle Mile, so drinking water, fishing and recreation remain protected,” Baker wrote.
“The state’s conclusion is backed by a robust, state-led Water Quality Adaptive Management Plan which provides real-time monitoring and strong enforcement measures designed to identify and correct any potential issues before they develop.”
The Environmental Protection Agency agreed with Wyoming DEQ’s findings and stipulations, Baker added.
But there remain huge holes in the modeling — rooted in the failure to consider a changing climate — that FERC, DEQ and the EPA have based their analysis on, Harrington contends. “It’s a castle made of sand.”
Regarding wildlife, and the Ferris-Seminoe bighorn sheep herd in particular, rPlus Hydro contends it is committed to “strict construction practices to minimize disturbance and significant investment in habitat and herd management to ensure its continued health and viability.”
But those promises are not enshrined in FERC’s stipulations for the project, said Cheesbrough of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.
There’s no way, she said, to ensure the bighorn sheep herd, and other wildlife, will be protected due to the multiple waivers FERC wants to allow for seasonal restrictions. Understandably, Cheesbrough noted, the restrictions for bighorn sheep, sage grouse, raptors and other wildlife would black out much of the calendar, limiting when construction could take place.
Protecting wildlife, Cheesbrough said, would likely add several years and dramatically increase the project’s cost. But, she added, “For them to be like, ‘Well, we just can’t afford to do it here if we have to abide by all of this,’ and then asking for waivers, it seems like a very dangerous precedent to set.”
Public and government pushback
The FERC is the primary permitting agency for the project because of its reliance on federally managed water-storage reservoirs, hydroelectric and electrical transmission systems. It’s a source of heartburn for locals, Harrington said, because the agency seems less beholden to public and local government input compared to other federal agencies.
“It’s frustrating,” Harrington said. “I think this project is headed toward licensing in September because the adjustments FERC has made have sort of just indicated that there’s not going to be a lot of changes to the plan as proposed.”
“For them to be like, ‘Well, we just can’t afford to do it here if we have to abide by all of this,’ and then asking for waivers, it seems like a very dangerous precedent to set.”
Katie Cheesbrough, Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation
In May, the Legislature’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee heard a large outcry from wildlife and recreation enthusiasts opposing the project, as well as from local officials from Carbon and Natrona counties.
“These concerns are not theoretical for us,” Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco told the legislative panel. “Casper relies directly on the North Platte River for drinking water, wastewater treatment, recreation, tourism and the quality of life.”
Committee members bristled at what they saw as a severe lack of engagement by rPlus Hydro and FERC with the public and local officials. Committee leaders agreed to send a letter to Wyoming’s congressional delegation, as well as to FERC, imploring officials to insist on meaningful protections.
What’s next?
The FERC has indicated that the publication of the final EIS this month does not trigger a public comment period before giving its final approval later this year. Some governmental agencies, however, still have the power to persuade the FERC, according to WyoFile sources.
So what powers can be exerted on the FERC to change course on the project?
For example, the wildlife waivers and other accommodations in the FERC’s plan do not align with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s resource management plan for the region, administered by the BLM’s Rawlins Field Office. If the BLM chooses to accommodate FERC’s plan for the project, it would likely have to amend its resource management plan — a process that is more inclusive of public and local government agencies.
Harrington and Cheesbrough both noted that the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, for example, has refused to endorse a carte blanche waiver of seasonal wildlife restrictions. That could be a major factor if the BLM initiates the process to align its management plan with FERC’s proposed certification of the project.
“To me, that’s a massive hurdle,” Harrington said.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
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