A rare fossilized skull of an ichthyosaur, a marine reptile, has been unearthed in the Kiskatinaw River valley of British Columbia, around 52 kilometers south of Fort St. John. Local resident Kevin Geist and his 11-year-old son, Andreas, stumbled upon the skull two summers ago while exploring the fossil-rich Peace region, noticing a peculiar black rock along the riverbank.
The recent four-year drought in the region has caused the Kiskatinaw River to reach record low levels, exposing more rocks. One of these rocks revealed the prehistoric skull, which Geist believes surfaced due to the reduced water levels caused by the drought.
Initially uncertain about the significance of the rock, Geist’s sister-in-law, Diana Hofmann, shared photos of it with the Tumbler Ridge Museum after revisiting the site this summer. The museum showed keen interest in the find, leading to the confirmation that it was indeed an ichthyosaur skull.
Ichthyosaurs, distinct from dinosaurs, were marine creatures resembling a mix between a dolphin and a fish. Eamon Drysdale, the resident paleontologist at the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation, mentioned that the skull likely dates back to the Triassic period, although the river valley itself belongs to the Cretaceous period, making the discovery unusual.
The skull, encased in carbonate rock from the Triassic era, likely traveled to the valley from the Rocky Mountains due to glacial movements. Fossils in northeast B.C.’s Peace region can span up to 500 million years, showcasing a wide array of Earth’s history.
While it remains uncertain if more fossil treasures lie within the valley, the low water levels could potentially expose additional fossil-bearing rocks. The recovery of the ichthyosaur skull was a collaborative effort, with the Geist family playing a pivotal role in the discovery.