New Miocene fossils found in Sierra Nevada foothills
Park Ranger Stumbles Upon Treasure Trove of Several-Million-Year-Old Fossils in Northern California Paleontologists found hundreds of Miocene fossils, including an 8-million-year-old mastodon, at an undisclosed location in the Sierra Nevada foothills The treasure trove discovery began when park ranger and naturalist Greg Francek from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) first stumbled upon a petrified forest while on patrol in the Mokelumne River Watershed, located in the Sierra Nevada. ( Jason Halley, California State University, Chico ) By Elizabeth Gamillo smithsonianmag.com