- Construction at a high school uncovered millions of fossils dating back nearly 9 million years.
- The fossils include unique species of fish that had never been found in the area before.
- The discovery is reshaping views on California geology with the possibility of extinct islands.
For decades, students at San Pedro High walked over millions of ancient fossils hidden beneath the concrete.
During a recent construction project, workers discovered the massive collection, which includes some fossils dating back nearly 9 million years.
It turned out to be one of the largest marine fossil sites in all of California.
Some of the discoveries are unique, including species that were previously unknown in the area, including a saber-tooth salmon.
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The fossils also suggest there may have been an island to the west of the site when water covered the land millions of years ago.
“The SPHS fossil discovery is changing how a lot of people think about California geology,” Wayne Bischoff, the director of cultural resources at Envicom Corporation, told Business Insider via email.
Envicom Corporation helped evaluate the site’s fossils, which include an amazing array of animals and plants.
Construction continued on the school’s new buildings, but not before experts excavated 80% of the fossils.
Photos show some of their discoveries, but there are countless more specimens to sift through.
