What animal did Lewis and Clark newly discover during their 1804 expedition up Old Baldy in Nebraska?
Black-tailed prairie dog The black-tailed prairie dog ("Cynomys ludovicianus"), is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the United States-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen above ground in midwinter. A black-tailed prairie dog town in Texas was reported to cover 64000 km2 and included 400,000,000 individuals. Prior to habitat destruction, this species may have been the most abundant prairie dog in central North America. This species was one of two described by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the journals and diaries of their expedition.
1824 in paleontology Paleontology or palaeontology (from Greek: "paleo", "ancient"; "ontos", "being"; and "logos", "knowledge") is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that published in the year 1824.