The Earth has had at least five major Ice Ages or glacial periods. The most recent Ice Age ended very slowly over tens of thousands of years. The climate slowly warmed and melting glacial ice flowed into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise all over the world. By about 11,000 years ago, the Texas coast looked about like it does today. But the coastline isn’t the only thing that changed. People, animals, and whole ecosystems were affected by the changing climate.

Large body size is an adaptation to cold climates and many ice-age animals were bigger than modern types of similar animals. In fact, they are sometimes called mega-fauna which is just scientists speak for “really huge animals.” These animals evolved during the last Ice Age and some went extinct as the Ice Age ended. Others still have descendants living today.

Native Americans from across Texas and America tell origin stories of dark, chaotic times when people had to deal with some pretty scary monsters. Every culture has its own stories. In some, the monsters are wiped out by a sudden change like a flood or fire. In other stories, the first people must flee to survive. Archeological sites show us that Paleoindians lived alongside incredible animals that became extinct in a changing climate. It’s possible that their memories became the stuff of legend!

One of the most fascinating Paleoindian archeological sites in Texas isn’t really an archeological site at all — it’s a beach. Over the years, thousands of Paleoindian artifacts and the bones of extinct animals have washed ashore on a beach near the Texas-Louisiana border.

Archeologists agree that the artifacts and bones are from an underwater area that was once dry land. But now, due to rising sea levels, what was once a grassy, coastal plain is now ocean floor about 100 miles out at sea! To study these sites, some scientists take the plunge and turn to underwater archeology, a growing field in the study of Paleoindian sites.

Animal species go extinct all the time. It happens for a lot of reasons. But when many species go extinct all at once, scientists look for a BIG reason, and they call it an extinction event. The Earth has had several extinction events. Scientists want to understand why some animals (looking at you, crocodiles) lived through several while other animals (RIP sabertoothed cats) didn’t.

Archeologists carefully collect everything, including charred plants, tiny flakes from stone tools, soil samples, and animal bone fragments. They also document the exact location and context of each sample. In labs, specialists can then identify and analyze the samples.

It may not look important at first glance, but this evidence helps us understand what Texas’ environment was like and how Paleoindian peoples interacted with their world.

Beware: some collectors dig into archeological sites to find “arrowheads” and destroy all this important evidence! If you come across an archeological site, please keep your hands to yourself.