Event date: Sunday, May 8,
2011
Event place:
Apple
Valley,
CA
Lecture, “The
Mojave River in the Ice
Ages”
On Sunday, May 8, Curator of Paleontology Eric
Scott will explore the fossil record of the ancient Mojave Desert in a lecture, “Waters of Life: The Mojave River
in the Ice Ages,” at 2pm at the Victor Valley Museum in Apple Valley. This presentation is included with paid museum
admission.
The present-day Mojave River flows north and east, mostly underground, to
pass through Hesperia, Victorville and Barstow on its way towards Baker. “During the
Pleistocene Epoch—the ‘Ice Ages’—global and regional temperatures were
frequently cooler than today, and the ancestral Mojave River flowed at the
surface along most of its length, fed by more runoff from year-round snow and
ice blanketing the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains,” said Scott.
“The ancestral Mojave River filled low-lying basins north and east of the
mountains to form broad freshwater lakes,” Scott continued. “Abundant plants and
animals, including several extinct species of very large mammals, all thrived on
this ready source of fresh water. In the Victor Valley region, ancient river
sediments laid down by the ancestral Mojave River are still present, and
preserve the fossilized remains of extinct animals such as mammoths, horses,
camels, sloths, and even giant bears. The ground under your feet is a rich
treasure trove of bones and teeth of Ice Age animals that once called this area
home!”
This lecture will be of special interest to visitors who plan to attend a
field trip led by Scott, “Mojave River and Lake Manix,” which leaves from the
Victor Valley Museum on Saturday, May 14. Trip participants must
pre-register.
The Victor Valley Museum is at 11873 Apple Valley
Road in
Apple
Valley.
Admission is $5 (adult), $4 (senior or military), and $2.50 (student). Children
under 5 and San Bernardino County Museum Association members are free. Parking
is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is
accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other
auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or
programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at (760)
240-2111 at least three business days prior to your visit.
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