Large Bones Found in Calif. Creek Bed

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/12/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The fossilized bones of a creature that might have been a mastodon were unearthed Tuesday in the creek bed of a suburban river being renovated for flood protection.

The remains of what appears to be a massive pelvic bone, ribcage fragments and a tusk were uncovered along the Guadalupe River in San Jose. The river project has been cited as a model of how to integrate nature and development.

The discovery prompted both wonder and frustration, as officials tried to determine the source of the remains but couldn't find experts to scour the site.

"We've never come across this before. This is a whole new ballgame for us," said Mike DiMarco, a Santa Clara County Water District spokesman.

DiMarco said it was the first find of its kind in the district's 75-year history.

Professional paleontologists will examine the remains Wednesday. Amateur paleontologists were to spend the night at the site to make sure the bones remained safe.

___

On the Net:

Santa Clara Valley Water District: www.valleywater.org

[NormsRevenge]

Large fossilized bones are shown by the Guadalupe River in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday, July 12, 2005. The fossilized bones of a creature that might have been a mastodon were unearthed Tuesday in the creek bed of a suburban river being renovated for flood protection. The remains of what appears to be a massive pelvic bone, ribcage fragments and a tusk were uncovered along the Guadalupe River in San Jose. Professional paleontologists will examine the remains Wednesday. Amateur paleontologists were to spend the night at the site to make sure the bones remained safe. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

[NormsRevenge]

Bones, possibly mastodon, were found near Trimble Road and Hwy. 101.

[RichInOC]

It's not a mastodon, it's Michael Moore's sabertoothed ancestor.

[Eagles6]

"as officials tried to determine the source of the remains."

Perhaps a large, dead mastadon?

[DoughtyOne]

Anybody seen Reno...

[NormsRevenge]

...

[Auntie Dem]

Rosie O'Donnell is dead? OMG!

[Dr.Hilarious]

Don't be silly, it's not Rosie--they didn't say they found McDonald's wrappers in the area.

[Max Flatow]

Well thats just great. Now another ten thousand acres of land is going to be off limits because the EPA or some other environmental group is going to declare the place an endangered habitat.

[Frank_Discussion]

LOL!

[Eva]

It's ashame, but development has taken place so fast in CA that remains such as these could have been overlooked for the past fifty years.

[PAR35]

If they find a live one, put it in breaking news.

[VeniVidiVici]

Great. I'm sure the local Indian tribes will rush to the scene to immediately seize the bones for repatriation into ancient tribal buriel grounds.

[Battle Hymn of the Republic]

Thanks for posting this... I saw this earlier today.

We are currently going through the permit process for building in Santa Clara county. I have been told horror stories about contractors finding artifacts that will shut down the project for a long time.

Probably, no one will ever be able to develop this land in light of the current findings.

[NormsRevenge]

This particular area of N. San Jose has been slated for potential high rise and even more business development so there could be a lot more digging going on the next few years and even more stuff seeing the light of day as well.

[null and void]

SVP?

[Liberty Valance]

Orson Welles?

[Pro-Bush]

Bump!

[claudiustg]

---Well thats just great. Now another ten thousand acres of land is going to be off limits because the EPA or some other environmental group is going to declare the place an endangered habitat.---

Don't worry, they'll pave the entire valley. They really need the shopping malls, you know.

[Iscool]

I've seen plenty of those...A Texas Long-Horn...