Many nature-created monuments exist all over the world. Despite where some of them are, people of all cultures make the time to travel to our world’s natural wonders. One of the most popular for anyone to visit is the Grand Canyon.

Here are a couple of interesting facts you may not have known about the massive expanse:

It’s How Old?!

For science to gain accurate information, its methods have to evolve with the times. According to scientists who initially made the effort to date the Grand Canyon, it was believed to be only 6 million years old.

Scientists in 2012 decided they wanted to try and verify this claim. After finishing their research, it was determined its age was as much as 70 million years. It’s also believed smaller canyons existed first, and in recent history (maybe the last 6 million years?) broke apart to form something greater.

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Weather All Its Own

Most weather is easy to predict, based on whatever part of the country or world you are in. But the elevation of the Grand Canyon varies so greatly every few miles, that the weather you experience in one spot may not be the same as 7 miles away.

It’s Got Competitors

The Grand Canyon is probably the deepest canyon in the entire continental United States. While that is certainly impressive, it is not the deepest canyon in the world. Tibet contains within its borders the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, which has a depth of 17,567 feet.

Yarlung is more than two miles deeper than the Grand Canyon and 30 miles longer.

The Dinosaur Report

Finding any bone older than 5 years is pretty amazing, so long as it’s an animal that died of natural causes. With the Grand Canyon being about 70 million years old, one would think it logical to find a couple of dino bones.

The rock located within the Grand Canyon is said to be as much as a billion years older than the dinosaurs themselves. It is this age that made it possible for any bones left behind to be destroyed by weather.

There is Still Stuff to Find

For anyone interested in fossils, do not worry. In the Grand Canyon, there still may exist the bones of other ancient creatures from eons ago. 1.2 billion-year-old marine fossils have been found in addition to the bones of mammals that can be found in the caves dotting. The mammal bones may have ended up there as early as 10,000 years ago.

No Luck Fishing

The most notable body of water in the area is the Colorado River, which runs right through the Grand Canyon. But despite that, there are not that many fish in the river. With all the heavy flooding, large amounts of silt, and constant variation in temperature, there are only a handful of species that live in the waters.

There are only 8 different species, all native to the Grand Canyon. What’s crazier is six do not exist in any water but the Colorado River.

Not So Desolate

Grand Canyon may have a desert climate at times, but people still live within the expanse. On the Havasupai Indian Reservation, exists at the canyon’s base the Supai Village.

It is impossible to reach the village by road and has a population of just 208 people. If you want to send mail to the village, it will have to be delivered by mule once it reaches the Grand Canyon.

Where’s the Rest of It?

Despite our advances in science, nature can still throw us curveballs. Many of our dating process for rock and other like minerals can be scaled using the Grand Canyon. What’s weird, though, is that there is a historical gap about 950 million years long.

Some believe that during this “void era” it is entirely possible that no rocks formed.

The Great Unconformity is the name given to the span of time, 250 to 1200 million years ago. The same oddity is found in other places in the world.

A World Wonder

Initially, there were a total of “seven wonders of the world.” This, many argue, is in reference to monuments that existed for thousands of years. The Grand Canyon is on many lists for “wonders of the world.”