A fossil deposit found in the Purcell Mountains appears to contain ancient coral, giving evidence of the existence of a pre-historic reef.
Karl Walker, a graphic designer with the College of the Rockies, found the massive fossils while hunting for rocks.
“Initially we found a really bizarre-looking rock, so we cut it and showed a pattern that has not shown up anywhere else we looked,” said Walker.
“We kept looking for more and then stumbled across a large boulder that turned out to be solid fossil material from an ancient reef.”
Walker says other similar boulders were found nearby and could be worth further research.
“I’m working with Nicholas Kinar, the College’s geology professor. We sent away the sample and they’re analyzing it in more depth now that we found many components that are most likely part of the reef,” said Walker.
The fossils are estimated to date back to the Devonian Period, which ranged from 419.2 to 358.9 million years ago, if not older.
“The theory has always been that this area had a reef system and it was one of the oldest, and this material could possibly support that theory,” said Walker.
“This potentially could explain why and when this area changed in history.”
Samples have been sent for analysis, with some having returned promising results.
“The minerals in the fossils are consistent with what we would see in a sea sponge-type organism,” said Walker.
“The way some of these fossilized kept them three-dimensional, so the amount of studying that can be done with them is super valuable.”
Other samples have yet to be returned, but Walker hopes they contain more proof of the existence of a pre-historic reef.
Be the first to know! Don’t miss out on breaking news and daily updates in your area. Sign up to MyEastKootenayNow News Alerts.
