Mammoths and bison fossils were found in a construction site in Carlsbad. (Photo : Cornerstone Communities/Facebook)
Bones from more than 100,000 years old were uncovered from Carlsbad, California located in a construction site where more than 600 homes are planned to rise. Scientists believe that these are the remains of creatures who used to walk the earth during the Ice Age.
The animals that were found during the dig were giant bison, ancient bison and Colombian mammoths. There were also bones from ancient horses and turtles that were also included from these fossilized remains near Route 87 in Carlsbad.
The fossils were dated back to 50,000 to 200,000 years ago which means that these ancient creatures thrived and flourished during the Pleistocene Epoch or otherwise known as the Ice Age.
According to curator of paleontology, Tom Deméré of the San Diego Natural History Museum, the most intact specimen will be on display at the museum, which belongs to a bison fossil that still possesses its skull and parts of its skeleton.
Deméré adds that these are really gigantic animals that are much larger than the modern plains bison. An ancient bison weighs about 2,000 pounds on average where as the normal weight of an Ice Age giant bison is around 2,250 pounds. The Colombian mammoths on the other hand, weighs between eight to 10 tons, equivalent to 16,000 to 20,000 pounds.
These fossils were uncovered last July when Cornerstone Communities of San Diego who is the developer of the land, began commissioning the grading of a development site located in the Quarry Creek area in Carlsbad. This project is estimated to build some 636 condominiums and houses but has been temporarily put on hold due to this recent discovery, as paleontologists are busy collecting these specimens from this dig.
According to the project's superintendent John Suster, this pilot neighborhood is set to be completed for the end of next year however, he also told the paleontologists to take their time for this incredible scientific discovery.
Deméré adds that this dig is a pivotal discovery in the fields of paleontology and geology, where he says that these fossils can provide crucial information about the climate, environment and ecology during the Ice Age. Since these fossils are directly linked to the past, they can reveal the ancient ecosystem that once thrived here and gain a better understanding of how climates change.
