Prehistoric Animal Fossils Discovered at Oceanside Construction Site
Fossilized remains of a massive prehistoric mammal, potentially a 'thunder beast' or 'swamp rhino,' have been unearthed at a construction site in Oceanside, Southern California. The discovery was made during routine excavation for a water infrastructure project, where crews found several limb bones, ribs, and other fragments believed to belong to a single animal. According to Joseph El Adli, a consulting paleontologist overseeing the site, the fossils were located approximately 12 feet below the surface within the fossil-rich Santiago Formation. The animal is estimated to have inhabited the area around 40 million years ago. El Adli narrowed down the possibilities to two extinct mammal families that roamed North America during the Uintan North American Land Mammal Age: Brontotheriidae, a large hoofed mammal with a deep chest, or an amynodon, a semi-aquatic herbivore distantly related to rhinos.
