In Santa Cruz an exciting discovery has been made as Ice Age-era fossils are surfacing. A group of kindergarten and first-grade students from Tara Redwood School found a fossilized sloth armbone while playing in a creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The bone, shimmering with glitter, sparked a debate among the children about whether it was a bone or a branch before they decided to bring it to their classroom and eventually to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. According to Executive Director Felicia Van Stolk, the 20-inch bone is the first specimen of an ox-size Jefferson’s ground sloth ever found in the county.
The museum has recently acquired several other significant fossils, including a mastodon molar discovered by a jogger on Rio Del Mar State Beach and another sloth fossil found during construction of the Santa Cruz Coastal Rail Trail. These finds are attributed to the heavy rains in 2022-2023, which caused long-buried specimens to surface. Joe Stewart, a paleontologist at FirstCarbon Solutions, explained that the region’s humidity and sediment-rich environment make it ideal for fossil preservation.
The museum plans to exhibit these new fossils, including the mastodon tooth, as part of its upcoming Fossil Month Pop-Up exhibit from October 1 to October 12. Van Stolk emphasized the importance of local discoveries, noting that smaller museums can quickly display these treasures for public viewing.
The discovery of these fossils not only enriches the understanding of the region’s prehistoric ecosystem but also inspires future generations. Van Stolk stated, “Fossils are a great way to engage people with the deep past. We’re so excited that young students made this important discovery that will continue to inspire generations.”
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