Topline:
A construction project at San Pedro High School has revealed literal tons of fossils from L.A.’s prehistoric past. The find ranges from 120,000-year-old shells to nearly 9 million-year-old fish bones.
What was found: The vast range of species represented in the fossils includes plants, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, birds, clams, snails, and countless fish, including a saber-toothed salmon.
Why it matters: “It's the entire ecosystem from an age that's gone,” said Wayne Bischoff, who helped oversee the excavation. “We have all this evidence to help future researchers put together what an entire ecology looked like nine million years ago. That's really rare.”
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The backstory: The Palos Verdes Peninsula, which was once covered by the ocean, has a rich history of paleontological discovery. Los Angeles Unified began a $245 million construction and renovation project at San Pedro High School in 2021. The district hired Envicom Corporation, where Bischoff oversees cultural resources, to monitor the site for any potential fossil finds. The discoveries presented Monday were unearthed between June 2022 and July 2024.
What's next: Researchers at the L.A. County Museum of Natural History have already started to sort and identify the fossils and many were transferred to CSU Channel Islands. A few of the fossils will be displayed at San Pedro High School so students can learn more about the history under their feet.
“The fact that it's here, and that we get to learn more about it, and it's gonna spur more discovery?” said senior Taya Olson. “It's just something that I'm really really excited about.”
Learn more about L.A.’s prehistoric underwater past
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The Los Angeles County Natural History Museum exhibit L.A. Underwater explores the more than 90 million years our region was submerged beneath the sea through fossils, interactive maps, a hologram, and other multimedia elements.
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- Address: 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
- Parking: $18-$20 depending on lot.
- Hours: Monday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Closed the first Tuesday of every month and several major holidays.
- Tickets: Prices vary. Free for: Children 2 and under, L.A. County residents weekday afternoons, California school staff and educators, active or retired U.S. military, CalFresh participants and other selected groups.
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