A Caltrans work crew made an exciting discovery this month while installing a sprinkler system off the 73 toll road. High on the slope over the roadway, the fossilized remains of a sea cow (a marine mammal that has long been extinct) were found.
Off the coast of California, sea cows were plentiful five to seven million years and it is not uncommon to find its bones in the area. What is uncommon, and what has paleontologists excited, is that this was a whole, intact skeleton.
The San Diego Natural History Museum has had paleontologists on hand excavating the bones since the discovery was made. Due to its location, high on a steep slope, keeping the fossil intact during removal will be a difficult and time consuming operation. The museum plans to eventually put the fossil on display.
Savvy local businesses will try to find a way to tie in an advertisement with this find. Flyer printing services may suggest their clients offer reduced admission to the museum with a purchase, as an example.
Sea cows are distantly related to manatees but have no close relatives in the area. Dugongs are their closest living relation and they live in the Indian Ocean. Although sea cows sometimes reached a length of 30 feet, the one found here in Laguna Niguel was on the smallish size at only seven or eight feet long.
