Cretaceous Swamp: Boulder, Colorado, 72 Million Years Ago

Late Cretaceous (72 Million Years)(Laramie Formation). Near the end of the Cretaceous, a series of mountain ranges began to be uplifted in Colorado. This scene is from near Boulder, where there was a heavily wooded coastal plain.

Plants depicted: "Artocarpus" lessigiana, Araceae, palmetto (Sabalites sp.), unknown monocot rushes, miscellaneous angiosperm trees

Animals depicted: Triceratops sp.

This preliminary version is part of a joint project between the Interactive Geology Project at the University of Colorado Boulder and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The nature paintings at the Colorado Convention Center and Denver Museum of Nature and Science are being animated.

From the painting "Triceratops Swamp" (Colorado Convention Center), and "Finally, the Rockies" (DMNS Ancient Denvers exhibit)(courtesy Kirk Johnson and Jan Vriesen). A special thanks to James Hagadorn and Ian Miller (DMNS) for their input.

Scene by James Adson and Joseph Rogers.


http://igp.colorado.edu
Geologic age: 72Ma