Bakersfield, California
Museum website --> Buena Vista Museum
Buena Vista Museum
This little museum has some great Shark Tooth Hill fossils. if you plan to go the the Ernst Quarries, be sure to stop here first.
The Main Hall of the museum
The first floor houses all of the fossils from Shark Tooth Hill.
One of Many Display Cases
The display case house fossils of the many marine mammals found in the area.
The skeleton suspended from the ceiling is an "Allodesmus", a large seal or similar animal.
Skull of the Allodesmus
Tis is a close up of the skull of the suspended Allodesmus skeleton.
Flipper / Hand bones of the Allodesmus
Individual bones from the "hands" and "feet" of the Allodesmus are interesting finds from the Round Mountain Silt.
Small Baleen Whale Skeleton
This small whale is likely a "composite" of bones found in the area rather than a complete skeleton.
Von Zittel Teaching Scrolls
The second floor of the museum houses a variety of fossil, minerals and other natural history related topics.
These panels are rare examples of "teaching scrolls" developed by Karl Von Zittel, a German paleontologist.
The panels date from around 1902.
Geology of the Round Mountain Silt
The "Bone Bed" fossil layer exposed at Shark Tooth Hill is embedded in the Round Mountain Silt formation. The Round Mountain Silt was formed in the middle
Miocene while the local area was part of a small inland bay or sea. The sea was obviously a prime habitat for marine mammal and their predators as evidenced
by the profusion of fossil bones and teeth. Tectonic movement along the San Andreas Fault, associated with the collision of the Pacific Plate with the North
American Plate, creating the Temblor Range to the west. The changes in topography eventually cut off the sea from the open ocean and uplifted the area forming
the Bakersfield Arch. The Bone Bed has been dated to 15.9 million years ago. About 15 different shark species are represented in the Bone Bed deposits.
History of Collection at Shark Tooth Hill
Bob Ernst is the father of the current owner of the Ernst Quarries.
Carcharadon planus Teeth
Planus teeth are the most common shark tooth found at Shark Tooth Hill but are practically unknown anywhere else in the world.
Although originally classified as a "Mako" shark in the "Isurus" genus, recent work has reclassified planus into the White Shark genus "Carcharodon".
Speculative Fabricated Carcharadon hastalis Jaw
Carcharadon hastalis is the almost equally common as the Carcharadon planus. This jaw was made, not found. The teeth are real and positioned to illustrate
the normal dentition of the shark. The contemporary presence of two large sharks, planus and hastalis, in the same ecological setting is a bit of a mystery.
Although commonly called "Makos", recent work has also reclassified I. hastalis into the White Shark genus "Carcharodon".
Tiger Shark Teeth
Tiger Shark teeth hare also common at the hill. Two distinct species of Tiger Sharks are found at Shark Tooth Hill : Galeocerdo contortus and aduncus.
Recent Megs from the Slow Curve Quarry
Megalodon (Otodus megalodon) teeth are not common in the bone bed layer, especially when compared to prolific localities on the south eastern shore of the United States.
However, in the 170+ years since the discovery of Shark Tooth Hill deposits, hundreds, if not thousands, of megs have been mined from the bone bed and distributed to
collectors and museums, world wide. Because of their relative rarity and unique colors and characteristics, "Bakersfield Megs" are highly desired by "Meg" collectors.
Oddly, the museum does not have a comprehensive display of local megalodon teeth.
Teeth from the genus Allodesmus
Teeth of these types are somewhat common at Shark Tooth Hill. More study is warranted to identify the species from whence they come.
Museum website --> Buena Vista Museum
Ernst Quarry website --> Shark Tooth Hill
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