Of course, a discovery like this sent me on the interwebs researching to find out what it is. We’ve hiked there quite a bit and have never seen anything fossil-related, although now we’re probably going to pay much closer attention. Here’s what I’ve found:
Dr. Jonathan Nourse is a faculty member at Cal Poly Pomona who has done some work in the area. One of his students did a senior thesis and mapped the conglomerate outcrops in exactly the area where the item was found. Based on the information posted on Dr. Nourse’s website, and a search of shell fossils from the nearby area, I’ve narrowed it down to the following: it’s an Ark Clam (Family – Arcidae) from the Puente Formation, a member of the Monterey Group of marine sedimentary rocks, deposited during the Miocene epoch, 11 to 15 million years ago.
I’m not sure about removing such specimens from the park – it’s part of the LA County park system. If they want it back, I’m happy to oblige.
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