The blocks containing these fossils were discovered between June 2022 and July 2024. 80% of them were transferred to research and educational institutions.
Two fossil deposits discovered
“Never before in California has such a density of fossils been discovered at a site like this. It is the largest deposit of marine bones discovered in Los Angeles and Orange counties.“, explained Wayne Bischoff, director of cultural resources at Envicom Corp and director of operations during the excavation of this veritable fossil collection.
On campus, the specialists discovered two fossil beds: one of them contained bones dating back to the Miocene era (8.7 million years), and shells about 120,000 years old, from the Pleistocene era. As the article states, the construction of the campus buildings is finished. Therefore, the specialists are finally starting to analyze their finds.
First, these fossils are marine fossils, which fits well with the researchers' hypothesis that Los Angeles was underwater thousands of years ago. Second, by testing the chemical and mineral composition of the fossil blocks, scientists hope to learn more about the atmosphere and environment at the time.
A prehistoric island?
First, the specialists found fossils dating from the Miocene era in the bone bed, a whole “mixture of coastal materials” such as pieces of driftwood, fossilized algae (diatomite), a staple food of dolphins, fish and whales. According to Wayne Bischoff, this could be evidence of the presence of an island off the coast.
A huge deposit of marine fossils found under San Pedro High School https://t.co/PjnN2wEgZE
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 13, 2024
According to the specialist, a strong storm could have carried plant and animal debris into an underwater canyon, and that all the organic matter would have been sealed by the mud. This debris would have been revealed only after millions of years following tectonic activity and the withdrawal of ocean waters.
Opening the way to passions and new knowledge
In addition to inspiring some high school students, like Milad, a 17-year-old student who now hopes to study marine paleontology at a university, these discoveries are also “a real window into the geography of the oceans and lands at the time this happened”.
As the article notes, these fossils are now distributed among the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Cal State Channel Islands and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Source: The Guardian, Los Angeles Times
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