Fossil Discovery Exhibit

Marine Environment

During the Early Cretaceous (130 million years ago), Big Bend National Park was underwater. The warm, shallow sea that covered Big Bend and most of Texas is called the Western Interior Seaway. This sea supported a magnificent

Coastal Floodplain Environment

During the Late Cretaceous (83-72 million years ago), Big Bend National Park was on the shoreline of the Western Interior Seaway. As the shoreline advanced and retreated, Big Bend experienced environments ranging from nearshore

Gallery of Giants

The Gallery of Giants is filled with exactly that—the giant creatures that roamed Big Bend National Park during the Cretaceous (83-65 million years ago). Life-size bronze skulls of giant alligatoroid, Deinosuchus, and

Inland Floodplain Environment

 72-55 Million years ago 72 million years ago the Rocky Mountain uplift had elevated the Big Bend Region hundreds of feet above sea level. Around this same time the climate started to cool and sea level continued to drop as ice

Volcanic Highlands Environment

Volcanic Highlands: 55 Million to 10,000 Years Ago The dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago. This mass extinction made way for a grand diversification of mammals. The RockyMountains continued their uplift to the