A partial skull was found at the left end of the string of neck vertebrae and was collected by the Museum of Western Colorado. The dark brown to black, shiny coating on these rocks is called Desert Varnish or Desert Patina. The coating, which takes hundreds or even thousands of years to form, is composed of iron oxide and traces of manganese oxide and silica. Microscopic organisms may play a role in the formation of the coating. The rocks with plant impressions have rolled down from the Early Cretaceous aged Cedar Mountain Formation located higher on the hill.
Plant fossils reflect the paleoenvironment and suggest the diet of plant-eating dinosaurs.
Watch for more plant fossils along the trail. This woven-wire fence encloses sheep grazing areas. In this arid environment, four acres of land are required to graze one sheep per month. They reduce soil erosion and add important nitrogen to the soil. Avoid destroying cryptogamic crusts by staying on the designated trail.