Create a CEG Account  /  CEG Login



Fossils Unearthed During Metro Purple Line Construction

May 10, 2017 - West Edition #10
Construction Equipment Guide

LA Metro photo
Cogstone workers place an ancient elephant bone in a plaster cast to safely remove it from the Wilshire/La Brea subway station excavation.
LA Metro photo Cogstone workers place an ancient elephant bone in a plaster cast to safely remove it from the Wilshire/La Brea subway station excavation.
LA Metro photo
Cogstone workers place an ancient elephant bone in a plaster cast to safely remove it from the Wilshire/La Brea subway station excavation.  LA Metro photo
The Ice Age femur bone, most likely from a mastodon or mammoth, measures approximately 36 in. in length.

Excavation crews working on the Purple Line subway extension at Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles have unearthed a pair of fossils from the Ice Age, marking the second time the project has led to the discovery of ancient remains, Metro officials said.

Crews found a camel bone and a bone from a mammoth or mastodon while digging out the future subway station on April 12 and 13, according to Metro.

Once the bones were found, the onsite paleontologist diverted digging operations away from the site to preserve the area. The bones were removed and taken to a lab in Riverside to be identified.

The camel bone was later identified as a roughly 20-in.-long radioulna, or combination of forearm bones, from an extinct Camelops hesternus.

“Camel bones are quite rare in the fossil record of our area,” said Ashley Leger, paleontological field director for Cogstone Resource Management, which is providing paleontologist services at the construction site. “We are very excited about what we might discover next in this fossil-rich area.”

The second fossil is believed to be a femur of an Ice Age elephant, either a mastodon or mammoth. The bone is about 36 in. long.

In November, excavation crews working on the subway project in roughly the same area found a tusk, tooth fragments and a nearly complete mastodon skull.

All fossils found at the site will eventually be turned over to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.


Today's top stories

Seabrook Bridge Construction Moves Toward October 2028 Completion

Yuba Pass Gets Two Bridge Replacements

TxDOT Widens 20 Mi. of U.S. 87 to Improve Safety, Increase Capacity

Core Equipment Group Strengthens Leadership Team

Diamond Mowers Strengthens Dealer Support Through Demo Days, Champion Training Events

Volvo Increases Use of Recycled Materials in New Heavy-Duty Truck Models

E2 Systems Turns Wheel Loaders Into High-Production Material Placers

ADM Names Brady Umberger President


 





×

Stay Ahead of the Market

Get weekly equipment news, auction updates, and dealer insights — trusted by thousands of industry professionals.



39.96118 \\ -82.99879 \\ Columbus \\ OH \\ US \\ 43215