Every year, students walk the hallways of San Pedro High School in Los Angeles.
What at first glance seemed like a routine renovation project turned into a startling discovery when a treasure trove of ancient fossils was uncovered.
Since the first fossil was discovered in early 2023, millions of fossils have been unearthed.
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“San Pedro High School was originally comprised of a group of 1936 school buildings surrounding a central courtyard. The courtyard has not been significantly affected since the school was built, however several significant amenities were planned as part of the 2021 construction project,” Dr. Wayne Bischoff, director of cultural resources for Envicom, told Fox News Digital in an email.
“During work in the courtyard in early 2023, a large collection of Late Miocene (8.7 million years ago) fossil bones was discovered embedded in the limestone blocks being removed. Envicom worked with LAUSD and Pinner Construction over the following year to document and recover the fossil blocks as trench excavation work continued.”
Dr. Wayne Bischoff led the discovery of millions of fossils under his guidance at a California high school. (Dr. Wayne Bischoff, Envicom Corp)
Bischoff said the find is “one of the largest fossil bonebeds ever discovered in California.”
Many fascinating fossils have been unearthed at the Los Angeles site.
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Many of the fossils are from extinct species that lived when the Palos Verdes Peninsula was underwater.
“The most interesting finds were the teeth of a juvenile Megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived; a sabre-toothed cat jawbone; sea turtle bones; baleen whale vertebrae; seabird bones; many dolphin bones, including the back of a dolphin's skull and ear bones; and fossilized dolphin coprolites (droppings) containing dozens of tiny fish bones,” Bischoff said.
During the excavations, many shark teeth were found, including those of the Megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived. (Dr. Wayne Bischoff, Envicom Corp)
Many of the fish species discovered have never been recorded in Southern California before, Bischoff added.
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Not only were these fossil discoveries of interest to scientists, they also provided a unique hands-on learning opportunity for students.
“The students are not allowed on the construction site, but they are helping us in the lab to classify and identify the fossils and shells in our collection,” Bischoff told Fox News Digital.
Experts say the discovery could be of great educational value for students. (Dr. Wayne Bischoff, Envicom Corp)
“As we enter into this new phase of discovery, students will play a larger role in creating educational exhibits, murals and displaying some of the fossils that have been discovered,” Bischoff continued.
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The fossils are currently housed at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles Unified School District and Cabrillo Aquarium also have smaller collections, and a large block of fossils is currently stored at California State University, Channel Islands, Bischoff said.
