Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND — The Meeteetse Museums will be at the Washakie Museum and Cultural Center on Oct. 24 to measure bison skulls and crania found within the Big Horn Basin from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Measuring each specimen takes roughly 10 to 15 minutes depending on completeness.
Bison crania can be taken home immediately after they are measured. While staff members are measuring the bison, we ask you fill out a sheet that provides us as much information on the bison as possible.
Bison of the Big Horn Basin is a project of the Meeteetse Museums to learn more about historic and prehistoric bison of the area before their removal in the 1890s. We are looking for bison of all sizes and completeness. The larger the sample size the more accurate our picture of bison in the Basin.
By looking at bison throughout the geographic Big Horn Basin, we can look at regional patterns such as where the bison occur, age at the time of death, orientation when found (horns sticking out, nasal bones, etc.), and more.
According to Meeteetse Museums Director of Education and Programs Amy Phillips, they are asking for location information on bison crania because more precise locations allow us the option of dating that bison crania. This additional information then gives us the opportunity to look at bison over time in the Basin.
Phillips said, “We are looking at bison crania specifically because they are used as décor and more likely to be picked up than other bones of the individual. Crania are heavy and therefore less likely to be washed away by flooding or other fluvial events. Additionally, the crania contains information on that individual’s age, size, sex, and even specifics such as its diet, when it lived, and where it grazed throughout its life.”
She added, “How much we can learn from this project depends on how many crania we measure. The more the better. A larger dataset helps to create a more accurate picture and gives us the ability to look at more variables.”
For more information, call (307) 868-2423 or email [email protected]. The Washakie Museum and Cultural Center is located at 2200 Big Horn Avenue in Worland, WY 82401.