Awakening the Ancients: Triops' Enigmatic Arrival at Wupatki National Monument

The historical ball court at Wupatki Monument has become a playground for unusual creatures.

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Triops, or tadpole shrimps, present an evolutionary mystery.

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These three-eyed crustaceans trace back to the Devonian era.

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A sudden rain transformed the ball court into a habitat teeming with these shrimps

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Ranger Lauren Carter hypothesizes these might be freshwater Triops longicaudatus.

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[{"selector":"#anim-a959aa58-e14d-4d21-81ef-aa12759f3c95 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-43.74999965867719%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] Unanswered: How many reproduced before drying out? Photo Source- Google