Southern California

Scientists Unearth 4 Million Year Old Whale Remains in Santa Cruz Mountains

Scientists in the Santa Cruz mountains are working to unearth whale remains believed to date back four million years.

The rare find this week was discovered on a construction site in Scott's Valley -- an area scientists said was under water millions of years ago. Crews were working to build single-family homes in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Now a small team of paleontologists are working to unearth the four million-year-old whale, which scientists said is 25 feet long. The team has covered the bones with plaster to hold it in place.

Paleontologist Scott Armstrong said it is the first four million year old whale found in the area. What makes the whale rare is how intact it is.

"(It's a) slice of time and space that hasn't really been looked at," Armstrong said.

The bones are encased in rock, which is how it will leave its Bay Area resting place.

"The best way to transport it is to leave it in the sediment," Armstrong said.

The remains will be transported in the next couple of weeks to Southern California and will eventually be displayed in a museum.

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