Some of the specimens on display at the ‘Amazement in the Basement’ exhibit include the paleontologists and researchers themselves working on their latest finds.
SAN DIEGO — The history of San Diego is on display around the county, with some details of the past still buried under our feet. Above ground, the newest exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum [The Nat] showcases a variety of fossils and specimens that not only detail our past but also help with modern-day research to better understand our changing ecosystem.
“We have some really incredible specimens that you can find that were found right under our feet,” said Abigail Karkenny, Exhibit Director for ‘Amazement in the Basement’ at The Nat.
Karkenny is not exaggerating. The last time I was in the basement of the San Diego Natural History Museum, marine fossils were found during the construction. Those fossils are now on display.
“There are shells, or at least the internal mold of a shell of a tight spiral snail that lived on the seafloor. And in the back, there are some clams, also from the museum,” explained Dr. Tom Deméré, Curator of Paleontology at San Diego Natural History Museum. The Paleontology Center is named after him.
The Nat is located in Balboa Park, which is on an ancient sea floor called the San Diego Formation. It dates back 3.5 million years, when the ocean’s edge was as far inland as La Mesa.
“So, if you stroll along the beach, instead of always looking at the ocean, turn around and look at the cliffs. There’s a whole story there to unravel,” said Dr. Deméré.
Venturing up the water column, you’ll find much bigger fossils in this exhibit.
“Fishes, sharks, rays, and if we are in the right time period, whales and dolphins and walruses, and sea cows. Yes, pretty exotic organisms,” said Dr. Deméré.
Some of the specimens on display in the ‘Amazement in the Basement’ exhibit include the paleontologists and researchers themselves working on their latest finds. Behind the glass, this active lab is a part of the visible storage at The Nat.
“So people will be able to watch them, and every now and then, the scientists might be able to open the window, and visitors will be able to talk and interact with them,” explained Karkenny.
San Diego County is considered one of the most fossil-rich areas of the United States. Even dinosaurs roamed our county roughly 75 million years ago. You’ll find some of those fossils on display.
“Duck-billed dinosaurs and other dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus; probably carnivores too, we just haven’t found those remains,” stated Deméré.
Aside from dinosaurs and ancient marine life, you’ll find other fossils, including large Brontotheres, a relative of the rhinos, which roamed in what is now Scripps Ranch. Roughly 45 million years ago, it was a vast coastal estuary system, like Galveston Bay off the coast of Texas. You’ll see evidence of this once the lush tropical rainforest is imprinted on rocks in the exhibit.
Visitors can also play with fossil-themed puzzles and games like Poop Bingo. Scientists, and now you, can learn a lot from poop.
“The one thing we use poop for is understanding the way animals eat. We are able to use poop to know what they eat, and what plants they need in their habitat to survive,” explained Karkenny when talking about the Pacific Pocket Mouse, a critically endangered species.
The exhibit also includes taxidermized animals and animals in jars that were used in research done by scientists here at The Nat. And if insects are your thing, there’s one on display that was recently discovered by the scientists at the San Diego Natural History Museum.
Now, it’s time for you to open drawers, wander around the basement, and unearth our natural history in this new basement exhibit. Happy exploring!