The Royal BC Museum has added a prehistoric sea turtle fossil to its collection in Victoria.
In January 2021, Courtenay resident and fossil hunter Russell Ball discovered the fossil and contacted the Vancouver Island Paleontological Society.
Then in late April 2021, Royal BC Museum paleontology collections manager Derek Larson returned from the Puntledge River in Courtenay, with the approximately 84-million year-old sea turtle fossil in tow.
The Puntledge River is a well-known site for fossils and the age of the fossil was determined by identifying abundant fossil shells found nearby.
The fossil may be one of two known species of ancient sea turtle previously found in the area, or be a new species altogether.
The excavation of the fossil was made possible by BC Hydro, who worked with Larson to keep the river’s water at typical low levels to prevent the fossil from being submerged during the dig, and by the BC Heritage Branch, who helped fund this work in partnership with the Royal BC Museum.
Studying the fossil to identify the species is a priority for the museum’s paleontology team, but the process will take some time.
“If the fossil is a known species, we’ll learn a lot of new information about that species because these specimens are rare and, so far, incomplete.” said Larson.
“If the fossil turns out to be a species that is new to science, that could exponentially advance our understanding of marine ecosystems millions of years ago.”
The museum’s paleontology team will prepare the fossil by chiseling away at the rock surrounding it, but the process will take time before it is ready to be exhibited.
