Ancient Colorado; Slimy Shoreline
Denver Public Art 1%
2005.4.2
Slimy Shoreline
Roxborough State Park
250 million years ago
The Permian extinction destroyed most of Earth’s marine species just over 250 million years ago, and a lot of life on land as well. At the time, there was beachfront property in Colorado. The post-extinction Colorado coastline was home to single-celled bacteria and algae, living together in mounded colonies known as stromatolites.
The Lykins Formation consists of cream-colored layers of wavy limestone amid thick piles of brick-red mudstone. The thin limestone layers—remnants of ancient stromatolites—stick out like short, white walls at Roxborough State Park.
Roxborough State Park
250 million years ago
The Permian extinction destroyed most of Earth’s marine species just over 250 million years ago, and a lot of life on land as well. At the time, there was beachfront property in Colorado. The post-extinction Colorado coastline was home to single-celled bacteria and algae, living together in mounded colonies known as stromatolites.
The Lykins Formation consists of cream-colored layers of wavy limestone amid thick piles of brick-red mudstone. The thin limestone layers—remnants of ancient stromatolites—stick out like short, white walls at Roxborough State Park.
Jan Vriesen and Kirk Johnson (rights held by)