An Ancient Find
Boy discovers 15-million-year-old fossils
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| George Bromm (L), a paleontologist from Sierra College, helps Gavin Sutter dig the fossils out of the earth. (Photo: Sutter Photos) |
January 22, 2007
Gavin Sutter, 8, of California, recently brought some very special items to his school for “show and tell.” Carefully balancing a tray, the second-grader revealed 15–million-year-old fossilized bones that he had discovered while on a trip to Nevada.
"I was very surprised that they were so old!" Gavin told Scholastic News Online.
Last summer, Gavin accompanied his parents to an area of northwestern Nevada where his dad was photographing paleontologists, or scientists who study fossils and other ancient life forms, on an expedition.
"Dick Hilton, the head scientist on the expedition, showed Gavin what to look for and told him to call for him if he found anything," said Keith Sutter, Gavin’s dad.
Gavin, who likes to collect rocks, was exploring along a bluff when he spotted small bits of bones in the dirt. He called his mother over to take a look. When the paleontologists came to the area, they extracted a large chunk of earth all around the bones that Gavin had found.
It took six months for the scientists to carefully clear the dirt from around the bones and determine that Gavin had indeed made a rare find of fossilized bones!
The bones are believed to those of a horse called Parahippus that roamed North America more than 15 million years ago. The horse was about the size of a large German shepherd.
This close relative of the modern horse had three toes on each foot. This enabled Parahippus to stand on its middle toe, helping it run faster. Its facial features were “horselike,” long-headed with eye sockets back from the middle of the skull.
"Gavin found three teeth, part of a hip, two broken femurs and parts of a lower leg," said Hilton, professor of geology at the Sierra College of Natural History in Rocklin, California.
According to scientists, it is unusual to find many bones from one animal in one area.
In the same area, the paleontologists also found fossils of rhinos, camels, beavers, lion-size cats, wolves, birds, fish, and several types of plants.
Gavin’s discovery is currently on exhibit at the Sierra College Natural History Museum. Gavin, who says he’d like to be a photographer and scientist one day, went to see his discovery on display.
"It’s neat to see my name as the finder," he said.
Critical Thinking Question
Read today's news story, and then answer the following question.
|  | An Ancient Find If you had the chance to make an amazing discovery, what would you want it to be? Why? |
Join a discussion of this question on our bulletin board.
Gail Hennessey recently retired from teaching 6th grade social studies in Harpursville, New York. For more information and activity ideas, visit her Web site at http://www.gailhennessey.com/
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