|
|
The San Diego Zoo, located in Balboa Park (San Diego, California), is one of the largest (about 107 acres) and most progressive zoos in the world.
World famous for its exotic wild animal exhibits, the zoo contains over four thousand animals (consisting of over eight hundred species).
The nonprofit organization Zoological Society of San Diego operates it as part of the private property of the city of San Diego.
Suddenly, during the construction process, the excavating machine hit something hard. What was it?
Yes, an almost complete fossilized skeleton of a whale that is about three million years old.
That means, about 3,000,000 years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch (which lasted from about 5.3 to 1.8 billion years ago), this immature whale was swimming around in this area (now known as San Diego), which was completely underwater. And, something happened to the whale, resulting in its death. [edited]
The fossilized remains appear to be a 24-foot baleen whale. Included in this rare find is an a intact skull, the vertebrae, and flippers.
Page two quotes Ms. Sarah Siren, the field manager of the San Diego Natural History Museum.
