A 6-year-old girl from Bend, Oregon, recently discovered a 65-million-year-old fossil digging around in the dirt at her sister's boring soccer game.
According to CNN, last October, a young girl named Naomi got bored with her sister's match and started grubbing around the sagebrush outside the soccer field. She picked up a small rock that reminded her of a necklace from Disneys Moana movie.
Now, months later, Naomis family has discovered that the rock was a 65 million-year-old fossil.
Naomis dad, Darin Vaughn, said his daughter knew the rock was special from the get-go.
"She knew it right away," Darin Vaughan told CNN. "I'm not sure I would've."
Greg Retallack, director of paleontological collections at the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History, told CNN that Naomi discovered an ammonite fossil, which is a sea creature that went extinct with the dinosaurs. The fossil is common, he said, but not in Oregon. In fact, its a rarity that researchers dont know much about.
In some cases, this discovery would be a huge score.
The fossil can sell for $40,000 to $50,000, according to CNN.
However, Retallack said Naomis rock is probably worth $10 or $20 since it hasnt been preserved well, according to The Bend Bulletin.
Retallack told The Associated Press that the fossil probably originated from the Bernard Formation of Bernard Ranch in eastern Oregon.
"Presumably there was some family connection between the ranches and Bend, or it was part of a school fossil collection," Retallack said, adding that the fossil probably originated outside of Oregon.
Naomi is still happy about her discovery, according to her dad.
"She was delighted to find something so beautiful and to discover it's so old," Darin Vaughan said told the Associated Press. "She is still really excited."
According to CNN, last October, a young girl named Naomi got bored with her sister's match and started grubbing around the sagebrush outside the soccer field. She picked up a small rock that reminded her of a necklace from Disneys Moana movie.
Now, months later, Naomis family has discovered that the rock was a 65 million-year-old fossil.
Naomis dad, Darin Vaughn, said his daughter knew the rock was special from the get-go.
"She knew it right away," Darin Vaughan told CNN. "I'm not sure I would've."
Greg Retallack, director of paleontological collections at the University of Oregon's Museum of Natural and Cultural History, told CNN that Naomi discovered an ammonite fossil, which is a sea creature that went extinct with the dinosaurs. The fossil is common, he said, but not in Oregon. In fact, its a rarity that researchers dont know much about.
In some cases, this discovery would be a huge score.
The fossil can sell for $40,000 to $50,000, according to CNN.
However, Retallack said Naomis rock is probably worth $10 or $20 since it hasnt been preserved well, according to The Bend Bulletin.
Retallack told The Associated Press that the fossil probably originated from the Bernard Formation of Bernard Ranch in eastern Oregon.
"Presumably there was some family connection between the ranches and Bend, or it was part of a school fossil collection," Retallack said, adding that the fossil probably originated outside of Oregon.
Naomi is still happy about her discovery, according to her dad.
"She was delighted to find something so beautiful and to discover it's so old," Darin Vaughan said told the Associated Press. "She is still really excited."
