Paleontologists made an unexpected discovery in a very unexpected location when they unearthed a nearly intact whale skeleton well above sea level. The shifting tectonic plates and earthquakes had moved a whale once fossilized on the seafloor to the top of a mountain in Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz, California, over the course of the 4 million years since the whale's demise.
Even more impressive than the whale fossils' upward movement is just how well preserved it is millions of years later. While paleontologists typically only uncover bits and pieces of fossils along the coastline, in this case, paleontologists got way more than a few bones. The vertebrae of the mysticete whale, which measured about 25 feet in length, was uncovered, as well as pieces of its skull, jaw, shoulder blades, and arm bones.
Scientists think that this discovery could offer some new insights into the origins of modern-day whales. "That's an interesting time in whale evolution," UC Santa Cruz Paleontologist Matthew Clapham told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. "A lot of whales were starting to evolve from their early ancestral group, so this specimen, depending on how complete it is, could say a lot of interesting things about the evolution of whales."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The 5 best political thriller series of the 21st centuryThe Week Recommends Viewers can binge on most anything, including espionage and the formation of parliamentary coalitions
-
Sudan stands on the brink of another national schismThe Explainer With tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, one of Africa’s most severe outbreaks of sectarian violence is poised to take a dramatic turn for the worse
-
‘Not every social scourge is an act of war’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
