Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Oct 10, 1998

Forecast

<- Prev | Next -> The route between Thermopolis and Bozeman took us right through Yellowstone, so we decided to stop at Mammoth Hot Springs again to study the thermophiles there. This time, we brought our microscope, and collected a few tiny samples to study. It was fun to see Yellowstone again. We drove in at night, and saw lots of elk near the roads. We even saw bunnies, mice, and a couple of coyote! The thermophile bacteria at Yellowstone have been useful in the International Human Genome project. They are used in a process that "unzips" DNA. Links: (See below for additional resources you can buy online) Info on thermophile bacteria Discussion on thermophiles and origin of life. Yellowstone - Official National Parks page.

	Harrison is making a slide from sample PS2, taken from Palette Springs. The glass slip-cover is very thin, and breaks easily.
	There was a lot of living stuff in the warm water! We saw a lot of algea filaments, some large round cells, and some oval shaped swimmers.
	We took notes of our samples, and made drawings. These tiny creatures are only 5 microns long. There are 1,000 microns in a centimeter. The first life on earth was probably similar to these one celled creatures, living in warm water near thermal vents in the oceans.
	October is pretty cool in Yellowstone, but it was very beautiful. We enjoyed our walks.
	The elk were everywhere! We must have seen 50 in just one day.

Resources Try out some of these recommendations for your own learning activities. Everytime you purchase something from one of our merchants you help keep Learning Family going. Thanks!
Yellowstones Geysers Hot Springs and Fumaroles (Field Guide) by Carl Schreier A small pocket field guide to the geothermal attractions at Yellowstone. Gives good background, statistics, how to estimate eruption intervals and such.	Frommer's Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks One of the most popular guides to Yellowstone. A must for first-time visitors. There is so much to see, so planning your visit ahead to cover what interests you will result in a much more rewarding experience. Accurate info on camping, wildlife and geological attractions.
Guide to Microlife by Kenneth G. Rainis, Bruce J. Russell This is a great, concise guide to microorganisms of all kinds. We used it as a sort of field guide to identify some of the bacteria and things that we found in the hotsprings in Yellowstone.	The Absolutely True Story...How I Visited Yellowstone Park With the Terrible Rupes by Willo Davis Roberts, Dan Burr (Illustrator) OK, so this isn't really a true story. Join Lewis and Alison Dodge on a summer vacation with their rich neighbors, and find out that money doesn't make it fun. Especially in Yellowstone!
Grow your own Triops! We did just that on our tour! Just add water and watch these prehistoric creatures grow right before your eyes. They lasted a couple of weeks, even in our LV!	Explore Yellowstone Learning Company Don't let the lack of a picture turn you off to this CD. On both our trips to Yellowstone, Harrison and Amanda enjoyed playing like a park ranger, looking for wildlife and answering visitor's questions. There are a lot of pictures, sounds and facts to explore on this great CD.

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