Oceanfront property in Bakersfield? Today it’s just a real estate agent’s fever dream. But 15 million years ago, it was reality. Today on KVPR’s Central Valley Routes, the ancient Temblor Sea, and the fossils that have made Kern County famous around the world.
Imagine a vast marine estuary where Bakersfield is today. Rivers flowed down from ancient mountains and met the ocean here, leaving behind heavy deposits of silt. But while the sea is long gone, if you know where to look, you can still see fossilized evidence of the creatures that once lived here.
On the south side of the Kern River, just above Hart Park sits Sharktooth Hill. Here and at the Ernst Quarries across the river, a thin layer of fossils can be found close to the surface. And it’s not just shark’s teeth you’ll find there – but also marine mammals like whales and sea lions, and even land animals like elephants, horses and tortoises.
Sharktooth Hill became a National Natural Landmark in 1976. Remains from over 140 different species have been found there since the site was discovered in the 1850’s. Today, it’s considered one of the most significant marine fossil sites in the country, if not the world.
