Channel Islands pygmy mammoth skull could provide insight into evolution of species

Etiwanda High School | Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Archaeologists recently uncovered a pygmy mammoth skull on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park that could answer questions about how the species evolved. The skull, discovered by a park intern, is surprisingly intact and will hopefully reveal more about the evolution of the Columbian mammoth into the pygmy mammoth species in response to a changing environment. Nick Hinojosa and his classmates at Etiwanda High School report on how age-old discoveries continue to teach us about natural history and provide guidance for the future.

Produced by Allicia Dean, Nick Hinojosa, Keala Naipo, Martita Ureno de Arias, Jade Bobeda, Chase Klein, Samantha Zamora, Chase Klein, Ty Koslowski, Riana Teran, Carly Soos and Salina Singh, students at Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Instruction provided by SRL Connected Educator Bernadine Judson. Mentor support provided by Peggy Pico of PBS SoCal and Nsikan Akpan of PBS NewsHour.

Special thanks to Channel Islands National Park for the opportunity to explore the natural, cultural and educational resources being preserved for visitors from around the country and world by the park and its rangers.

Visit Student Reporting Labs on YouTube for closed captioning.

See the full series: America the Beautiful

 

NewsHour Extra Lessons:

PBS Student Reporting Labs: Mammoth archaeological discovery made in Chanel Islands National Park