A group of California construction workers in a Carlsbad site have accidentally uncovered a treasure trove of ancient animal fossils, including bones of the mighty mammoth. The discovery was made in July and scientists are currently gathering the fossils before the construction work resumes.

Paleontologists and the construction workers have collaborated to make sure that each accomplishes their task. The construction is still ongoing except in areas where paleontologists are unearthing the fossils.

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San Deigo Museum of Natural History paleontology head Tom Demere said the fossils can be traced back to around 200,000 years or during the Ice Age, which is also known as the Pleistoncene Era.

So far, the bones dug up came from several ancient mammoths, horses, turtles and a bison. Demere said the fossils can reveal the climate situation and even the state of the environment during that era.

Construction workers were clearing the site when they stumbled upon the ancient fossils. Paleontologists on the site quickly cordoned off the place in order to make sure the bones are not damaged.

The Carlsbad construction supervisor approved the temporary shut down of the housing development work in order to give the scientists more time to do remove the fossils.

Ure Kretowicz, the Chief Executive of Cornerstone construction, said the paleontologists first cordoned an area where the fossils were found. After removing the bones, his crew resumed their worked on the finished sites left by the scientists.

The incomplete bison skeletons intrigued scientists the most. This is by far the second and most complete skeleton of this particular bison. The ancient bison is considerably bigger than its modern day relative.

This is not the first time that ancient fossils and bones have been discovered in the state. In 2014, an ancient whale fossil was discovered by California resident Gary Johnson in his family's backyard. Howell Thomas, a paleontologist working for the Los Angeles county museum, described the fossil as a baleen whale fossil that has existed more than 16 million years ago. The local town sheriff and his team were able pull the heavy fossil from a ravine and deliver it to the museum.

Tagsmammoth fossils, giant bison skeleton, Paleontology, tom demere, ancient mammoth, Ice age, natural history, cornerstone construction, pleistoncene epoch, carlsbad construction site