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Caltrans makes a prehistoric find - Ice Age bison discovered in San Diego

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The bison is first of its kind found in the region.

Natural history buffs are very excited about a new find in San Diego. Caltrans workers near Pala Mesa, North San Diego, have apparently discovered the Ice Age remains of a bison.

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By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
5/15/2013 (1 decade ago)

Published in U.S.

Keywords: San Diego, Bison, ice age, caltrans, discovery

SAN DIEGO, CA (Catholic Online) - A Caltrans work crew discovered fossilized bison remains while working on a construction project at the intersection of Interstate 15 and California 76.

The remains are fossilized and appear to be about 200,000 years old. They are the first ever ice Age bison remains discovered in Southern California.

The remains have been transported to the San Diego Natural History Museum and are presently being cleaned and prepared for display at the museum.

The specimen's skull was remarkably well preserved with its horn cores intact.

The Ice Age bison stood about eight feet tall, about two feet taller than the bison of today.

These are not the first fossils discovered in the San Diego area by work groups. In February 2009 construction crews discovered tasks and skull of a mammoth while working in downtown San Diego.

Days later, workers found the skeleton of a whale underneath the mammoth.

Prehistoric discoveries are only rare in Southern California because of the urbanization there. However, the entire region was once well populated with prehistoric creatures especially during the last ice age.

Farther to the north, a massive San Joaquin Valley was once the site of an inland sea, and contains some of the richest also beds in the world.

Most of the fossils found throughout California date back between 3 million years up to more modern times.

Curators at the San Diego Natural History Museum planned to unveil the new bison within the next 2 to 3 months. In the meantime, workers will continue clearing the way dust and dirt from the bones so they have a more complete view of the skeleton.

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