The animals below represent some examples of the megafauna (large animals) that may have lived on the Colorado Plateau approximately 50,000 years ago. Position the mouse over each animal to learn its name and characteristics.
Did humans witness the impact?
Archeological evidence suggests that Homo sapiens did not cross the Bering
straight land bridge from
Siberia to North America until
approximately 12,000-14,000 years ago, long after the impact event.
This web site is based on information originally created for the NASA/UA Space Imagery Center’s Impact Cratering Series.
Concept and content by David A.
Kring and Jake Bailey.
Design, graphics, and images by Jake Bailey and David A.
Kring.
Any use of the information and images requires permission of the Space Imagery Center and/or David A. Kring (now at LPI).