Ancient Yellowstone

Microbes found in Yellowstone National Park's thermal pools have structures so ancient that scientists now believe that they could be close to the root in the universal tree of life. These microbes are becoming the models for understanding the biology necessary for life at high temperatures.

There are places in Greater Yellowstone where the snow never melts, or at least, it never used to. Climate change is causing Yellowstone's ice patches to recede, so many archaeological treasures-if not rescued-will disintegrate within days.

Greater Yellowstone sits on top of a volcanic hot spot where devastating geological events unfolded. The result? A bizarre cemetery of fossilized forests that contain the remains of trees that died from molten lava, ash, and mud around 50 million years ago.

The Yellowstone area was once a grazing area for Columbian giant mammoths. Now it is a hunting ground for paleontologists and archaeologists.

Montana's Hell Creek Formation is a treasure trove of Late Cretaceous fossils that reveal much about the last life of the great dinosaurs.

The craters at Moon National Monument are deserted - but 2,200 years ago the site was in present-day Yellowstone, which is known for its powerful eruptions and giant craters.