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These youngsters discovered the first evidence that giant Ice Age sloths roamed Santa Cruz

KAZU | By Jerimiah Oetting
Published March 22, 2024 at 5:00 AM PDT
The students who found the sloth fossil pose in front of its display case at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. From left to right: Vivienne Lane, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Felicia Van Stolk, Asher Rains; Harrison Micuda, Joxan Mulry, Rider Antos, and Paleontologist Wayne Thompson.
Erin Malsbury
/
KAZU News
The students who found the sloth fossil pose in front of its display case at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. From left to right: Vivienne Lane, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Felicia Van Stolk, Asher Rains; Harrison Micuda, Joxan Mulry, Rider Antos, and Paleontologist Wayne Thompson.

The elementary-aged students from Tara Redwood School in Santa Cruz discovered a fossilized bone while exploring a creek last spring. The bone was from the arm of a Jefferson ground sloth — the first fossil to show the Ice Age creature lived in the Santa Cruz area.

The radius of the left arm of a Jefferson ground sloth, in its display case at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Erin Malsbury
/
KAZU News
The radius of the left arm of a Jefferson ground sloth, in its display case at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Paleontologist Wayne Thompson describes the prehistoric world where the Jefferson ground sloth lived to an audience of students from Tara Redwood School.
Erin Malsbury
/
KAZU News
Paleontologist Wayne Thompson describes the prehistoric world where the Jefferson ground sloth lived to an audience of students from Tara Redwood School.
Students wait to enter the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, to see the sloth fossil they discovered on display.
Erin Malsbury
/
KAZU News
Students wait to enter the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, to see the sloth fossil they discovered on display.
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KAZU News Local NewsSciencePaleontologySanta CruzListen Local
Jerimiah Oetting
Jerimiah Oetting served in the capacity of news director, reporter and on-air host at KAZU from June 2021 to August 2024.
See stories by Jerimiah Oetting