A new fossil has been discovered at Grand Canyon National Park.
Officials with the National Park Service say the fossil was uncovered during recent excavation work at the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse near the South Rim as part of the Transcanyon Waterline project.
A University of California, Berkeley researcher identified the specimen as a Equisetalean strobilus. They believe it’s approximately 290 million years old and represents the spore-producing reproductive organ of an extinct species of horsetail known as Sphenophyllum.
Park officials say this specific fossil isn’t uncommon in the Hermit Formation, but discovering the fruiting bodies is “unprecedented.”
They plan to release more information on the find soon.