HOOK: The Grand Canyon, sitting gracefully in northwest Arizona, USA, is

believed to be seventy million years old, or more; and is home to artifacts

worth billions of dollars. Stretching two hundred and seventy-seven miles
and averaging four thousand feet in depth, he Grand Canyon has become
one of the most amazing tourist sites in the world. It has also become an
attraction for scientists and archeologists, who have made thousands of
mind-blowing discoveries therein. Walk with me as I take you through a
mental tour of the Grand Canyon and treat you to twenty scientifc
discoveries of the Grand Canyon, or should we say: The Great Grand Canyon!
NUMBER ONE: The Great Unconformity. For millions of years, sedimentary
layers of rock in diferent parts of the earth have been swept away from their
natural position. This is a natural phenomenon, as such erosion is
unavoidable. However, worthy of note is the fact that this erosion, in
diferent parts of the earth took place at about the same time. Now guess
what! All those rocks meet and pile up in one place. Where? The Grand
Canyon. This collection is called the Great Unconformity. According to
historians, the Great Unconformity was discovered by John Wesley Powell in
eighteen sixty-nine.
NUMBER TWO: The Chiricahua Leopard frog. This is a very rare species of
frog. This special frog belongs to the family of Ranidae, they are also called
the true frogs. Having the appearance of a bullfrog, the Chiricahua leopard
frog can grow up to fve inches in length nearly as long as an average human
foot. As the name suggests, the Chiricahua leopard frog is spotted like a
leopard. This endangered species was frst discovered in the Chiricahua
Mountains in Arizona, hence the name. Sad to say, this pretty leopard frog is
now only found in southwestern United States, including the Grand Canyon.
Thankfully, the Grand Canyon National Park is a safe haven for the
Chiricahua leopard frog, where it lives without fear of being driven to
extinction.
NUMBER THREE: Uranium. Uranium is a powerful and dangerous chemical
element. It can be used as fuel for nuclear power plants and naval
submarines. Uranium can also be used in deadly nuclear weapons. As far
back as the nineteen ffties, uranium mining in the Grand Canyon has been
lucrative and rewarding. Why? The uranium deposit in the Grand Canyon is
massive. Though the Grand Canyon National Park no longer welcomes
miners, the site is still rich in the powerful element. However, there is an
active uranium site just south of the Grand Canyon.
NUMBER FOUR: Trilobite Fossils. Fossils are the preserved remains of
ancient life, such as bones, teeth, wood, and shells. Fossils give us a glimpse
of what already extinct animals look like. In the Grand Canyon lies the fossils
of trilobite. Trilobites are a group of extinct marine arthropods. Just like other
arthropods, such as centipedes, trilobites had a segmented exoskeleton. The
arthropod fossils found in the Grand Canyon are believed to be over fve
hundred million years old. Like arthropods today, trilobites melted as they
grew, shedding their old exoskeleton, just like snakes. These exoskeletons
fossilize, leaving us with hundreds of fossils. Many species of the trilobites
had faceted eyes like an insect, using up to 15,000 lenses in one eye.

NUMBER FIVE: Winged Insect Fossils. The fossils of the winged insects
found in the Grand Canyon look like today's dragonfy. However, these
winged insects grew much larger than today's dragonfies. Some had a
wingspans of up to 75 centimetres, that is twice the size of a dove's wing
span. What made these insects grow so large? History has it that they
thrived in their wet and richly oxygenated habitat.

NUMBER SIX: Dicynodont Fossils. Ever heard of dicynodonts? Most likely,

no. These extinct species non-mammalian therapsids once roamed the earth.
Dicynodonts looked like dogs, with pair of tusks, hence their name, which
means 'two dog tooth. These dog-like creatures with toothless beaks had a
distinct characteristic. They were herbivores, feeding exclusively on plants.
That's shocking, right? Now what's more shocking is the size of these
magnifcent creatures. Dicynodonts can grow up to four feet in length.

NUMBER SEVEN: Tracks of large lizard-like beasts. Large animals that look
like lizards are believed to have crawled up the coastal sand of the Grand
Canyon. The tracks were cemented by light dew, and then frmly sealed by
sand that blew on them. Scientists say the track way they the oldest
recorded vertebrate tracks in Grand Canyon. These tetra pods are called the
ancestors of modern reptiles like lizards. They lived in the sand two ffty
million years before T. rex, the king of dinosaurs. These foot prints were
discovered by Allan Krill, a Norwegian geology professor in twenty sixteen.

NUMBER EIGHT: The Coconino Sandstone.

The Coconino Sandstone stands out as one of the most amazing discoveries
ever unearthed in the Grand Canyon. The magnifcent geological feature
makes up a very signifcant portion of the Grand Canyon’s rock formation.
The Coconino sandstone is noticeable against the rest of the rocks. Its colour,
light grey, and texture makes it stand out among the clifs and surrounding
walls. How the Coconino Sandstone was formed remains a mystery.
However, archaeologists believe they are about two eighty million years old.
These ancient sand dunes have endured, providing only vague clues about
the environment and the wildlife it has supported. Fossils and tracks exist in
the sandstone, but no bones.

NUMBER NINE: The Cave of the Domes

There quite a number of caves in the Grand Canyon. But the cave of Domes
is the only cave open to the public. Visitors can hike to the area near the
Horseshoe Mesa at the end of the Grandview Trail to fnd it. The trail is
further away from the popular village area and ofers a spectacular view of
the surroundings.
This old miner’s cave holds limestone domes that were washed from the
walls over millions of years. Their distinct look results from mineral deposits
on the roof of the cave. It’s dark, quiet, and dry, creating an eerie sensory
deprivation, just as you see in movies. Signatures from visitors who stopped
by throughout the nineteen hundreds cover portions of the cave wall. Now,
there is a guestbook to write your signature in at the entrance.

NUMBER TEN: The Pictograph Panel in Mallery’s Grotto. The Bright Angel
Trail in the Grand Canyon National Park is an awesome feat. Walking down
the trail is like going back in time. The trail contains remnants of rich human
history visible from the path. The pictographs painted in red by previous
occupants of the Canyon on the frst upper tunnel along the trail. Other
images and symbols on the rocks can be seen by visitors, only with
binoculars. Mallery’s Grotto contains the pictograph panel and other artifacts
of the Cohonina people. Mallery’s Grotto dates back to some time in two
thousand BCE and was used by the Havasupai people, who were evicted
from their native land when the Grand Canyon National Park opened. The
site is named for Garrick Mallery, an authority on North American
pictographs who worked for the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology.

NUMBER ELEVEN: Shasta Ground Sloth Remains. The Shasta Ground Sloth
Remains are found the desert caves of Arizona and New Mexico. The extinct
sloths were quite larger than the sloths we know today. In fact, some of
these sloths were as large as elephants. However, one of such Sloth fossils
unearthed in the Grand Canyon was about the size of a bear. The dry, stable
environment in Rampart Cave helped to preserve the skull of this creature.
Also, large amounts of dung that emitted a strong smell despite its
preservation over eleven thousand years were are also seen. It is believed
that this magnifcent creature was driven into extinction by man.

NUMBER TWELVE: Cave Pseudoscorpions. Two species of

“pseudoscorpions” were found in a cave on the north of the Grand Canyon
between sometime between two thousand and fve and two thousand and
seven. However, it was not until twenty fourteen that the news was broken
because researchers needed time to go through the species, to be sure they
were unique. In order to confrm if the scorpion look-alikes were a new
species, researchers had to analyze them and existing data on similar
species. Because of living in total darkness, these cave scorpions don't have
eyes. And unlike scorpions, the elusive cave-dwellers lack a tail with a
venomous stinger. Instead, those living in the Grand Canyon caves carry
their venomous stingers in their pincers.
NUMBER THIRTEEN: Split-twig fgurines. These are some of the most awe-
inspiring discoveries ever made in the Grand Canyon. The frst recognition of
these artifacts was made of the Grand Canyon some time in nineteen thirty-
three. As a matter of fact, several hundreds of these fgurines were present
in ffteen caves, dating as far back as two thousand to four thousand years.
The fgurines are made from a single twig, usually willow, then carefully
folded into specifc shapes of animal forms. The most common split-twig
fgurines replicate bighorn sheep or deer. However, they sometimes
resemble spears. They give us some insight to the lives of the people who
lived in the Grand Canyon thousands of years ago.

NUMBER FOURTEEN: Vanished Rocks. According to recent reports, rocks

dating back to one billion years have suddenly vanished. As unbelievable as
it sounds, it is true. The Great Unconformity was frst described many years
ago, and the news was so big that it completely shook the scientifc
community. None of them had ever seen anything like it before. Now, some
rocks in this famous great unconformity have begun to vanish. The question
everyone is asking is: Where did the rocks go if they disappeared? Scientists
and archaeologists have pondered the possibilities, still there are no
answers. However, there is a new discovery that may be related to the
missing rocks. This takes us to number ffteen.

NUMBER FIFTEEN: Archaeologists have made an appalling discovery under

the Grand Canyon, a vast underground city of the origin and purpose of
which is yet unknown. The size and complexity of the city have left experts
in awe, and have elicited theories of a lost civilization. Since there is nothing
much known, The Smithsonian Institute, under the direction of Professor S. A.
Jordan, has began conducting extensive explorations of this underground city
found in the Grand Canyon. These explorations aim to uncover all the detail
of this ancient feat and to understand the history and background of the
people who lived there. The team is delving nearly a mile underground,
about one thousand four hundred and eighteen feet below the surface, into
the long main passage and fnding multiple chambers with many
passageways branching of like the spokes of a wheel.

OUTRO: I hope you enjoyed the mental tour of the most famous tourist site
in the world. Please subscribe to get notifed of the next expository video.