Looking for bugs, Calgary girl finds ancient fossil at local playground

A playground adventure leads seven-year-old Alyssa to a remarkable fossil discovery. (City of Calgary)

What started as an ordinary day at the playground turned into a remarkable discovery for one young Calgarian.

Seven-year-old Alyssa was exploring a local playground when she decided to take a closer look at a group of boulders surrounding the park.

While searching for bugs and collecting rocks, she noticed something unusual embedded in the top of one of the stones.

A dark shape caught her attention, and thanks to her fascination with dinosaurs and fossils, Alyssa suspected it could be something special.

She asked her parents to contact experts at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.

After examining the specimen, museum staff confirmed Alyssa had discovered a rare sea star fossil estimated to be between 250 million and 400 million years old.

The fossil measures about five centimetres across.

According to Dr. Don Henderson, curator of dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, sea stars require extremely specific conditions to fossilize, making Alyssa’s discovery even more special.

“I love how preserved it is,” Alyssa said.

The discovery left her parents proud and excited, while museum staff were equally impressed by her enthusiasm and curiosity.

Some of the questions she asked about fossils and prehistoric life even stumped the experts.

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To retrieve the fossil, the museum used a diamond saw to cut out the section of rock containing it while leaving the rest of the boulder in place.

City crews are now smoothing the area and will pour new concrete around the remaining rock.

Alyssa watched the process from a distance and was given the opportunity to hold the fossil she had discovered — a moment she and her family are unlikely to forget.

The fossil is now at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, where it will be cleaned and catalogued. Museum officials say it could eventually be put on display.

To mark the discovery, Calgary Parks and Open Spaces staff presented Alyssa with several small gifts, including a tree she can plant to remember the day she uncovered a rare piece of Alberta’s ancient history.