ELLENSBURG, Wash. (Apr. 1) – During the latest preparations for new field turf and lights at Tomlinson Stadium, crews stumbled upon a rare find late last month: the fossilized skeleton of an Ichthyosaur.
The crew quickly alerted the Pacific Paleontology Center, while Marshall College dispatched renowned paleontologist H.W. Jones, PhD to aid in the identification. The PPC's lead paleontologist, R. Eustace Geller, PhD, and Jones confirmed the fossil indeed belonged to the Ichthyosaur. Construction has since been halted so staff can look for any remaining bones.
Many of the fossils in this region can be dated back to the Ice Age. Previously, numerous fossils have been uncovered from the
Cenozoic Era including woolly mammoths and saber-tooth cats that once lived in North America. An Ichthyosaur is a much rarer find.
The Ichthyosaur dates back to the Triassic Period of the
Mesozoic Era – roughly 208 mya. "Ichthyosaur" is Greek for "fish lizard" or
ichthys meaning "fish and
sauros meaning lizard". The Ichthyosaur thrived in the Mesozoic Era and lived until approximately 90 mya. During the early Triassic period, Ichthyosaurs evolved from a group of unidentified land reptiles that returned to the sea, development parallel to that of the modern-day dolphins and orcas.
"A lot of times these things will be plowed away," Dr. Geller commented. "In this instance, we are very lucky a member of the survey team was able to unearth it before work began on the site. We've really hit the site at the right spot, at the right time and we hope to pivot our research and learn more about this extinct species."
While the renovations to Tomlinson Stadium have been halted indefinitely and will more than likely force CWU's football team to move home games, Geller and Jones are eager to study the remains more closely.
"This is an incredible find and belongs in a museum," Dr. Jones added. "We can't wait to begin our research and we just want to remind everyone to have a happy April Fool's Day
."
