A lucky beach stroll unearthed not just seashells and pebbles, but a scientific treasure for 13-year-old Forrest Sheperd in 2011. Tucked within a hefty boulder lay the complete skull of an unknown walrus species, estimated to be a stunning 5 million years old.
This remarkable discovery, made near the bluffs of Santa Cruz, has now yielded a significant scientific revelation. Researchers, after analyzing the skull for over a decade, have confirmed it belongs to a previously unidentified walrus species. To honor the young paleontology enthusiast's contribution, they've named it Valenictus sheperdi, forever etching Sheperd's name in the annals of natural history.
Sheperd, now pursuing his medical studies, recalls his passion for fossil hunting igniting at the tender age of 9. His dedication, evident in his frequent expeditions, led him to countless finds like shells, shark teeth, and whale bones. But the ancient walrus skull stands as his crown jewel, a testament to both his keen eye and the wonders hidden beneath our feet.
"I was just absolutely on fire and ecstatic about finding fossils," he told Business Insider.
"I had been fossil hunting enough to know what fossilized bone looks like," he said.
"This fossil was found by a 13-year-old kid," Robert Boessenecker, an expert in marine mammal fossils, told BI. "I think that's really remarkable."
Ironically, Boessenecker used to comb the same beach, looking for fossils. "I've been going there since I was 15, so Forrest got luckier than I did," he said.
