Mysterious fossil resembling human ear found in park in Arizona. ‘Any ideas what it is?’
Imagine an ear falling off a first century Roman statue and you’ll get an idea of what someone found at the Lake Mead National Recreational Area in Arizona.
Photos of the fossil — yes, it’s assumed to be a fossil — were shared Feb. 8 on social media by the National Park Service, which isn’t sure of its origin.
It has “an odd round shape” and was found in the Hualapai limestone formation (6 million to 11 million years old) near Temple Bar on the eastern side of Lake Mead, officials said.
The rock is pale like marble, palm-sized and has oddly smooth areas. The flip side is equally mysterious, with “a tiny stick poking out of the small depression,” officials said.
“Any ideas what it is?” park officials asked. “The Hualapai limestone formation built up in a giant freshwater lake at the base of the Grand Wash cliffs right when the Grand Canyon started to form.”
Response to the post has been muted, but some suggest it’s “fossilized sea shell,” which makes sense.
The 1.5 million-acre park includes “mountains, canyons, valleys and two vast lakes,” and much of it was covered by an ocean more than 200 million years, park officials say. “Numerous unique fossils” have been found in the park, but this one apparently has experts stumped.
Park officials didn’t say how the fossil came to their attention.
Evidence of human occupation at the park dates back 10,000 years. Remains of ancient animals have been found in a cave near the lake, including ground sloth, horse, camel and mountain sheep, the park says.
“Notches found on the bones of animals located in that primitive dwelling show evidence that they were prepared and eaten by humans,” park service officials say.
Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and located in Nevada and Arizona.
Temple Bar is about an 80-mile drive east from Las Vegas.
This story was originally published February 10, 2025 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Mysterious fossil resembling human ear found in park in Arizona. ‘Any ideas what it is?’."