This discovery of the nearly complete red fox skeleton, named Roxy, is a remarkable find in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah. Dating back approximately 26,000 years, just before the last glacial maximum during the Ice Ages, it provides valuable insight into the region’s ancient wildlife and the natural history of red foxes.
The preservation of the bones is exceptional, and the careful extraction process, which took a team of nine researchers nearly 16 hours, highlights the challenges faced when working with delicate fossils.
Roxy’s discovery is particularly significant because it represents one of the oldest directly dated red fox specimens, not only in Utah but in North America. The team, led by John Foster from the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park Museum, used radiocarbon dating to confirm the age of the skeleton.
This discovery helps researchers understand the distribution and evolution of red foxes, which appeared in North America between 300,000 and 130,000 years ago.
Despite being found in a remote part of a cave, the preservation of nearly every bone intact is an incredible example of the environmental conditions that allowed such a specimen to remain undisturbed for thousands of years. The team had to use specialized equipment, including plastic tubes, to safely remove the fragile bones from the cave, and the bones will eventually be displayed for the public to view in Utah.
Roxy’s skeleton is one of the most significant Ice Age mammal finds in northeastern Utah, shedding new light on the region’s ancient ecosystem.
The public will soon have the opportunity to view the skeleton, providing a direct connection to the past and offering an opportunity for further study into the behavior and environment of the red fox during the Ice Ages.