Calif. utility stumbles on 1.4M-year-old fossils

Yahoo News ^ | September 21, 2010 | GILLIAN FLACCUS

[NYer]

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – A utility company preparing to build a new substation in an arid canyon southeast of Los Angeles has stumbled on a trove of animal fossils dating back 1.4 million years that researchers say will fill in blanks in Southern California's history.

The well-preserved cache contains nearly 1,500 bone fragments, including a giant cat that was the ancestor of the saber-toothed tiger, ground sloths the size of a modern-day grizzly bear, two types of camels and more than 1,200 bones from small rodents. Other finds include a new species of deer, horse and possibly llama, researchers affiliated with the project said.

Workers doing grading for the substation also uncovered signs of plant life that indicate birch, pine, sycamore, marsh reeds and oak trees once grew in the area that is now dry and sparsely vegetated.

The fossils representing 35 species have all been removed from the site and will be on display at the Western Science Center in nearby Hemet starting next year.

The bones are about 1 million years older than those found in the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, said Rick Greenwood, a microbiologist who also is director of corporate environment health and safety for the utility, Southern California Edison.

"If you step back, this is just a huge find," he said. "Everyone talks about the La Brea Tar Pits, but I think this is going to be much larger in terms of its scientific value to the research community."

Greenwood continued: "Some of the things I personally find fascinating are the prehistoric camels and llamas and horses and deer. I don't think most people even have the concept that those types of animals were roaming around here more than a million years ago."

[NYer]

While preparing to build a new substation in an arid canyon southeast of Los Angeles, Southern California

[NYer]

[Red Badger]

[aquila48]

Definitely an old fossil of a new specie!

[Da Coyote]

Lies, lies!

Bad science.

Harry Reid and Helen Thomas are still alive.

[Don Corleone]

Illegals just looking for the American Dream (Act)?

[Nick Danger]

In California, it is the law that all construction sites that involve digging must have an on-site archeologist. Not a guy they call out there if they hit something... an actual archeologist on site at all times. The stated purpose in the law has to do with Indian artifacts, but this will do.

[Red Badger]

She watched them go extinct...................

[bareford101]

need to give Creation as much credence as evolution..

http://www.icr.org/article/evidence-for-young-world/

[NYer]

need to give Creation as much credence as evolution..

Absolutely!! Ever tried to make something out of nothing ;-)?

[SunkenCiv]

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[21twelve]

I was on a job in California years ago - the same summer Jurassic Park came out. We noticed some activity (blue tarps, etc.) as we would go to the jobsite. One time I finally stopped to go and see what they were doing.

Volunteers at a dig site where they had found some dinosaur bones where a utility was working (or trying to workd!). They had found some bones and were about to quit when the 8-year old son of one of the volunteers saw something as he was playing around in the hole. “Hey Dad - what’s this?”

Turned out it was the tip a bone of an almost entire Mastodan! They had a certain amount of time to uncover the rest of it, but then the utility would have access.

I remember thinking that kid can say “No, I didn’t get to see Jurasic Park, but I got to live it!” (Well, a mastodon - but close enough!)

[Monkey Face]

In CA???

I’ve met a lot of old fossils, but none of them looked like this....

[SunkenCiv]

:’)

[Monkey Face]

:oþ

[ApplegateRanch]

Good thing I used to live in the area, or I wouldn’t have the least idea of where this was, based on the story. Hemet shouldn’t even be mentioned.

San Timeteo Canyon is just about 3 miles due south of Redlands (just east of Loma Linda, of University fame), and almost spitting distance ENE of March AFB located just outside Riverside.

I’d love to know more about the “ancestor of the sabre toothed cat” fossil.

[SunkenCiv]

Thansk AGR!

[colorado tanker]

I thought they died because they caught a glimpse of her . . .

[Red Badger]

[colorado tanker]

LOL! Larson was the best, the absolute best.