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2 new fossil rodents discovered in Utah
February, 04 2010
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LocalNews8
Fossilized bones found in central Utah are from two prehistoric rodents never before seen by scientists.
Don DeBlieux (de-BLUE'), a paleontologist with the Utah Geological Survey, says the fossils are about 8 million years old and were found among the scattered bones of elephants, extinct camels and other animals.
The find near Sevier was announced Wednesday.
Paleontologists say the bones provide rare clues about animal life in Utah during a period known as the Miocene Epoch, which lasted from about 23 million years ago to about 5 million years ago.
1 of the newly discovered tiny rodents is a relative to the modern-day deer mouse. The other is related to the spiny pocket mouse.
The cache of bones also included a type of prehistoric rabbit never recorded before in Utah.
