Texas road work leads to archeological discoveries of 'colossal creatures'
Share this @internewscast.com

LUBBOCK, Texas — While conducting an environmental review for Loop 88 in Lubbock, Texas, TxDOT found what experts believe to be the tooth of a giant ground sloth.

The Panhandle is home to several playas, or lakes that are remnants of water left over from the Ice Age, where both humans and megafauna, large creatures that used to roam the earth, would use as a water source.

This is why TxDOT wanted to search for any remnants of human activity in the area, but instead found something much bigger.

“We know we’ve found giant ground sloth by its distinctive tooth,” said TxDOT’s environmental affairs division’s project planner Chris Ringstaff, “Whether all the bones are giant ground sloth or there are different animals such as mammoth or mastodon, we’re not sure. Paleontologists will give us positive identification.”

Photo Courtesy of Texas Department of Transportation

According to the National Park Service, there are two giant ground sloths, but due to the location of the bones, it’s likely these are remnants of the Shasta Ground sloth or Nothrotheriops shastensis. These 9-foot-tall and 550-pound creatures only moved to North America from South America around 2.6 million years ago along with the ancestors of what we now know as cats, llamas and foxes.

While mummified versions of the ground sloths have been found in New Mexican desert caves, the Shasta Ground Sloth mostly inhabited “dry, open juniper woodlands, seasonal wetlands, and open woodlands” which is a far cry from the current environment of West Texas but fits right in with research done by the Lubbock Lake Landmark’s research into the Ice Age on the South Plains.

Those paleontologists are working with the Museum of Texas Tech University to prepare, identify and house all the bones that were found as well as continue searching the area for any evidence of human activity, which would be a first for a TxDOT project.

“We’re here to get the road built,” Ringstaff said. “But who doesn’t love digging up big ol’ animals?”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

PHOTO GALLERY: Severe Flooding Devastates Areas in Texas

Search teams have been deploying helicopters, boats, and drones to locate victims…

Volusia County: Suspect in Stabbing Fatally Shot by Law Enforcement, According to Sheriff’s Office

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A person wielding a knife who charged at…

Texas Flood Tragedy: Key Information on Lives Lost

() The Fourth of July weekend flash flooding on the Guadalupe River…

Dementia Friendly Day to be Held at Decatur’s Scovill Zoo

DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The Scovill Zoo is inviting people living with…

LA Man Detained by CBP at Airport Over Obama-Biden T-Shirt

A 71-year-old Los Angeles native, a longtime political consultant, wonders if an…

“Texas Woman Shares Harrowing Tale of Surviving for Days in Tree After Flood Rescue”

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) A Texas woman says she and her family, after…

Beachgoers Rescue Zephyrhills Man in Cardiac Arrest for 45 Minutes

A couple from Zephyrhills, Florida, experienced a terrifying ordeal when a relaxing…

Remains of All 7 Missing Individuals Located at California Fireworks Warehouse Explosion Site

Related video: Explosion captured on video at California fireworks facility ESPARTO, Calif.…

Central Texas Flash Floods Claim 78 Lives; 10 Campers Still Unaccounted For

KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) — On Sunday, families began the arduous task of…

Arizona’s Solidly Blue Congressional Seat is Open: Who Will Succeed Raúl Grijalva?

PHOENIX – For more than 20 years, southern Arizona’s congressional seat was…

US Tariffs on European Goods Could Disrupt Major Global Trade Partnership

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) America’s largest trade partner, the European Union, is among…

Urbana Park District Alerts Public to Tick Sightings in Local Parks

URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana Park District is warning community members…