Divers discover 500,000-year-old treasure trove of fossils in Florida sinkhole

Lower jaw bone of a tapir, which might represent a new species (left) and ancient armadillo fossils arranged in a partial reconstruction of the animal’s foot (right).

Fossil collectors have discovered a prehistoric graveyard buried in Florida’s Steinhatchee River.

The site has yielded a remarkable collection of more than 500 fossils dating back roughly half a million years. It was full of exceptionally well-preserved bones from ancient mammals, including horses, giant armadillos, sloths and possibly a new species of tapir.