What and where is the Hell Creek Formation?
It is a geological formation with outcroppings in eastern Montana, eastern Wyoming and western North and South Dakota. It dates back 67 million years ago to the late Cretaceous Period, when it was a lush, warm-temperate flood plain. Today, it is an arid and harsh “badlands” of rugged buttes, deep ravines and rocky outcroppings, a treasure-trove of fossilized plants and animals. The area where Jane was found is near Ekalaka, Montana, population 450, the county seat of Carter County. The dig site was a 60-minute, jouncing, tire-ripping drive from town.
