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Construction in Oceanside Unearths Potential 'Thunder Beast' Fossils from Eocene Epoch

Construction in Oceanside Unearths Potential 'Thunder Beast' Fossils from Eocene Epoch

Construction crews working on a water department project in Oceanside, California, have uncovered fossilized remains that paleontologists believe could belong to a 'thunder beast' (brontothere) or a 'swamp rhinoceros' (amynodont). Contract paleontologist Joseph El Adli discovered the fossils, including a femur estimated to be 2.5 to 3 feet long, within minutes of arriving at the site. These large, hoofed mammals lived approximately 45 million years ago during the Eocene Epoch, a period when the San Diego County region was a tropical jungle. The fossils were found in the Santiago formation, a sedimentary rock layer common in northwestern San Diego County. The remains are not actual bones but minerals that have replaced the original bone material over millions of years, turning them to rock. El Adli noted that the condition of the fossils suggests the animal died and was exposed to elements and predators before being covered and preserved by a flood. Most of the collected fossils appear to be limb and rib fr...
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Ancient 'Thunder Beast' Fossils Discovered at Oceanside Construction Site

Ancient 'Thunder Beast' Fossils Discovered at Oceanside Construction Site

Construction crews in Oceanside, California, working on a city water department project, have unearthed fossilized remains believed to belong to a 'thunder beast,' a large, hoofed mammal that lived approximately 45 million years ago. Contract paleontologist Joseph El Adli made the discovery within minutes of arriving at the site, noticing something protruding from a 15-foot-deep excavation wall. The largest bone found is a femur, measuring 2.5 to 3 feet long, which narrows the possibilities to either a brontothere (thunder beast) or an amynodont (swamp rhinoceros). Both were plant-eaters, and El Adli suggests it is likely a brontothere due to its higher prevalence in the region during the Eocene Epoch. Most of the fossils are pieces of limbs and ribs, currently encased in mudstone blocks for further examination. These fossils are not actual bones but minerals that have replaced the original bone material over millions of years, turning them to rock. The discovery occurred in the Santiago formation, a sedim...
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Geomorphologist Discovers 10,000-Year-Old Pacific Mastodon Tooth in California Creek

Geomorphologist Discovers 10,000-Year-Old Pacific Mastodon Tooth in California Creek

Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch discovered a remarkably well-preserved 10,000-year-old mastodon molar while surveying a wooded creek in California’s San Mateo County. The fossilized tooth, approximately 23 centimeters (9 inches) long, belongs to a Pacific mastodon (Mammut pacificus), a species formally recognized by scientists only in 2019. The tooth's crown and roots remain intact, making it the most complete mastodon molar found in the area. This discovery adds to the understanding of the Pacific mastodon, which roamed western North America during the Pleistocene epoch and differed from the American mastodon (Mammut americanum) with narrower molars, thicker femurs, and six fused vertebrae in the sacrum.
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
Measles exposure reported on 6 Amtrak routes across California

Measles exposure reported on 6 Amtrak routes across California

An infected traveler rode six Amtrak routes through California, prompting a statewide measles exposure alert.
Arizona RepublicArizona Republic
Fall arrives in Arizona, with a strong El Niño — and Hurricane Polo

Fall arrives in Arizona, with a strong El Niño — and Hurricane Polo

Astronomical fall has begun and forecasts are looking further at the fall/winter forecast and the impacts that the strongest El Niño ever could have.
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
New shock survey shows voter ID measure edging ahead in California

New shock survey shows voter ID measure edging ahead in California

A new poll found support for California's voter ID measure has shifted, with both it and a wealth tax proposal holding narrow leads.
ReutersReuters
Tenacious hot springs amoeba sets heat-tolerance record

Tenacious hot springs amoeba sets heat-tolerance record

By Will Dunham Sept 22 (Reuters) - Lassen Volcanic National Park offers a wondrous landscape of hot springs and other geothermal features in the Cascade mountains of California, fueled by molten rock deep below the surface.
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
Hurricane Polo becomes Category 5. Will it impact California?

Hurricane Polo becomes Category 5. Will it impact California?

Hurricane Polo rapidly intensified into a Category 5 storm off Mexico's coast. Forecasters say it's too soon to know if California will see impacts.
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Ice Age Mastodon Tooth Discovered in San Francisco Bay Area Creek

Ice Age Mastodon Tooth Discovered in San Francisco Bay Area Creek

A fossilized tooth from a Pacific mastodon, an extinct elephant-like animal that inhabited North America during the Ice Age, has been discovered in a creek in San Mateo County, south of San Francisco. Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch found the 23cm long tooth partly submerged in water during a habitat restoration project. Initially, the team was unsure of the find, but a reverse image search identified it as a Pacific mastodon molar fossil. The tooth is in remarkably good condition, with both its crown and root intact. Chrissy Garcia, curator at Stanford University's Geoscience Specimen Collection, noted that while the presence of mastodons and mammoths in the Bay Area during the Pleistocene Epoch was known, the manner of this discovery was surprising. The tooth has been donated to Stanford University, where researchers plan to determine its age and create a 3D copy for public education.
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
California warns of fake recruiter malware scam targeting job seekers

California warns of fake recruiter malware scam targeting job seekers

California officials warn that fake recruiters are using interview invites to spread malware and steal personal data. Here are some warning signs.
AP NewsAP News
Agency says sea turtle eggs laid on California beaches are a first for the US West Coast

Agency says sea turtle eggs laid on California beaches are a first for the US West Coast

There's excitement on the beaches of Southern California