Oligocene Organisms Traditional Geocache

Step back in time…23.8-33.7 million years ago to a time in the early Tertiary period called the Oligocene Epoch.  It is named after Greek words “oligos” (little, few) and “ceno” (new) – thus, meaning there were few new organisms to appeared during this time.  Living in the Oligocene Epoch were some new mammals such as pigs, deer, cats, rhinos, and tapirs; while many other animals have been around since the Eocene Epoch or earlier.  By visiting Toadstool Park you will witness first hand a landscape that seems to come from another time; eroded clay and sandstone formations dominate the area.  The park also contains the longest known mammal trackway of the Oligocene Epoch.  This geocache is a theme cache – in that, you may trade an animal you have that lived during this time for one that is already in the box.  Please do not stray from the intent of this cache – it is a cache intended to introduce you to a beautiful area and to have you look back in time at what it was like during this time in Nebraska and other parts of the world.  Also, there were NO DINOSAURS living during the Oligocene Epoch.  The items are the best I could find to represent the animals of the Oligocene Epoch.

If You Don't have an appropriate trade - just go ahead and take an animal and try to picture it in the landscape before you.

Original contents of the cache included the following animals:

• Lion (6 + stickers)
• Cheetah (3 + stickers)
• Black Panther (1)
• Tiger (2 + stickers)
• Crocodile (1)
• Zebra (4 + stickers)
• Rhinoceros (3 + stickers)
• Hippopotamus (3)
• Elephant – represents Early Elephant or Mastodon(2 + stickers)
• Deer – broad term including animals other than deer(2 + stickers)
• Ape (2 + stickers)
• Camel (1 + stickers)
• Horse (2)
• Bear-dog – bear –dog like looking animal (1)
• Kangaroo – represents Marsupials (1 + stickers)
• Water birds (2)
• Dolphin (2)
• Sheep – represents Oreodont (1)
• Ostrich – represent Diatryma gigantean (2)

Other animals that you could trade would be:

• Rodent, Rabbit, Shrew, and Hare
• Whale
• Armadillo
• Insects
• Tapir
• Weasel – represents Plesictis
• New World Monkey – these are primates that typically have a hairy face, widely separated nostrils, long arms, prehensile tail; include a few examples such as the spider monkey, squirrel monkey, howler monkey, marmoset
• Anteater
• Squirrel represents Ptilodus

http://www.science501.com/PTprehistanim.html