Wyoming
‘It Blew All Of Our Minds’: A 48-Million-Year-Old Turtle Shell Was Found By An 11-Year-Old In Wyoming
This “nearly complete and remarkably well-preserved” fossil has now been excavated and transported to the Tate Geological Museum, where Touren Pope has had the chance to work on its preservation and give it a name: Little Timmy.
Craig Thomas, BLM Rock Springs Field OfficeTouren Pope poses with the rock containing the fossilized turtle shell that he uncovered by chance in southwest Wyoming.
In 2025, 11-year-old Touren Pope was rock hunting with his grandparents in southwest Wyoming when he stumbled upon something extraordinary: a prehistoric fossilized turtle shell.
Experts examined the fossil and determined that it dated back 48 million years, to a time when Wyoming was much warmer and wetter than it is now. To thank Touren for his discovery, paleontologists allowed him to help with the excavation process and even name the turtle. Now, “Little Timmy” is undergoing further study at the Tate Geological Museum.
11-Year-Old Touren Pope Discovers A Prehistoric Turtle Shell In Wyoming
Touren Pope of Nevada was visiting his grandparents, Tom and Patti Patterson, in Wyoming when he made his incredible discovery. The Pattersons are amateur geologists and rock collectors, and they took Touren along with them to hunt for rocks on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Field Office.
“We were looking for quartz crystals and some rocks,” Touren told Your Wyoming Link. “We found these clams. Then we started looking around the clams and trying to find a whole one, but then I spotted a rock figure, and that was that.”
Touren wanted to dig up the rock, but his grandparents instead reported the find to the Bureau of Land Management, who alerted paleontologists. The family later led researchers to the site, and they set out to determine what, exactly, Touren had uncovered.
Craig Thomas, BLM Rock Springs Field OfficeTouren Pope helps J. P. Cavigelli excavate the turtle shell.
J. P. Cavigelli, a collections specialist at the Tate Geological Museum at Wyoming’s Casper College, told Wyoming Public Media, “Within a few minutes, we could tell it was a pretty complete turtle shell and worth collecting.” The paleontologists let Touren help them carefully dig the fossil out of the ground.
“We basically just pulled it out and then carried it,” said Touren. “It took around three stops, and then we put it in the truck. Then we had lunch — the best part.”
The fossil was then transported to Tate Geological Museum, where researchers could take a closer look.
What Life Was Like In Wyoming 48 Million Years Ago
The turtle fossil was found in a prehistoric rock layer known as the Bridger Formation, and paleontologists believe the creature died roughly 48 million years ago.
At that time, Wyoming was hot and humid, similar to parts of the Carolinas today. Craig Thomas, an archaeologist and paleontology field coordinator with the Rock Springs Field Office, explained to Wyoming Public Media, “You had lots of rivers and streams. You had lakes. Lots of wildlife and turtles, crocodiles, large mammals, tiny mammals, monkeys in the trees.”
“Little Timmy” was seemingly a soft-shelled turtle of the family Trionychidae. These reptiles have shells, also known as carapaces, that are more leathery and flexible than those of their cousins, like box turtles or tortoises.
When the creature died, its body was covered in sediment and naturally fossilized. It remained buried for tens of millions of years until it was eventually revealed by erosion. Touren came upon it at just the right time, as fossils tend to weather quickly once they’re exposed to the elements.
Tate Geological MuseumThe inside of the fossilized shell after it was cleaned by paleontologists.
“A complete turtle like this is a pretty good find,” Cavigelli told Your Wyoming Link. He explained that small pieces of shells turn up fairly frequently, but full carapaces are much less common. “I’ve only been here 21 years, and we’ve collected, I think, three of them,” Cavigelli said. “This may be the fourth one.”
For Touren Pope, however, it was the discovery of a lifetime. The 11-year-old became interested in paleontology after watching Jurassic World, and he even compiles his own books about dinosaurs by jotting down facts and figures in notebooks.
In a statement from the Bureau of Land Management, the organization said, “This discovery would not have been possible without Touren’s keen observation for fossils and his decision to report the fossil to the BLM… His discovery not only helped preserve an important piece of Wyoming’s paleontological history but also highlighted the role the public plays in protecting and responsibly reporting scientific resources found on public lands.”
While the fossil is still undergoing analysis as of now, researchers hope that “Little Timmy” may be displayed to the public in the near future.
After reading about the 11-year-old boy in Wyoming who found a prehistoric turtle fossil, go inside the stories of 11 more historical artifacts discovered by children. Then, learn how Steve Irwin’s son bred a rare turtle species that the “Crocodile Hunter” himself discovered in 1990.
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyoming (KUTV) — A man was hospitalized with critical injuries after he was reportedly shot by a deputy responding to reports of a disturbance.
Deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Rock Springs Police Department responded to the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in the 2100 block of Century Boulevard just after 4 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports of a disturbance involving an armed individual.
Information that dispatch received indicated that the individual had shot himself. When officials arrived, they found the individual on the balcony of an upstairs apartment “who appeared to have a gunshot wound consistent with the initial report,” a press release states.
MORE | Officer-Involved Shooting
During the encounter, a deputy discharged their weapon and struck the individual.
Emergency medical personnel rendered aid, and the individual was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
No law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.
The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an independent investigation.
The deputy who fired their weapon was placed on administrative leave per standard protocol.
_____
by Maggie Mullen, WyoFile
Albert Sommers, former Wyoming Speaker of the House, announced Thursday he will attempt to reclaim a seat he formerly held for more than a decade in the statehouse.
“Leadership matters,” Sommers, a lifelong cattle rancher, wrote in a press release. “Right now, the Wyoming House is too often focused on division instead of solutions. We need steady, effective leadership that solves problems—not rhetoric and political theater.”
Voters in 2013 first elected Sommers to House District 20, which encompasses Sublette County and an eastern section of Lincoln County. As a lawmaker, Sommers largely focused on health care, education and water issues. Over six terms, he rose through the ranks, serving in leadership positions and chairing committees focused on education funding and broadband.
In his announcement, Sommers highlighted his legislative work to establish funding for rural hospitals, prioritize “responsible property tax relief,” as well as the creation of the Wyoming Colorado River Advisory Committee within the State Engineer’s Office, “to ensure our water users have a voice in critical decisions affecting the Green River Valley,” he wrote.
As speaker, Sommers was a frequent target of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus as well as the DC-based State Freedom Caucus Network, even getting the attention of Fox News and other national, conservative news outlets. They often accused Sommers of not being conservative enough, and criticized him for keeping bills in “the drawer,” which has long been code for the unilateral power a speaker has to kill legislation by holding it back. (The practice of holding bills has been used to a much higher degree under Freedom Caucus leadership.)
In 2023, Sommers used the speaker’s powers to kill bills related to a school voucher program, banning instruction on gender and sexual orientation from some classrooms and criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors. At the time, Sommers defended his decision to hold back “bills that are unconstitutional, not well vetted, duplicate bills or debates, and bills that negate local control, restrict the rights of people or risk costly litigation financed by the people of Wyoming.”
He reiterated that philosophy and defended his record in his Thursday campaign announcement.
“I am a common-sense conservative who believes in getting things done. I support our core industries—oil and gas, ranching, and tourism—and I will continue to fight for the people and natural resources of Sublette County and LaBarge. I am pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, and pro-education,” Sommers wrote. “I also take seriously my oath to uphold the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions, which means I didn’t support bills that violated those constitutions. I read bills carefully and I voted accordingly.”
Following his term as speaker, Sommers stepped away from the House to run for Senate District 14 in 2024. He lost in the primary election to political newcomer Laura Pearson, a Freedom Caucus-endorsed Republican from Kemmerer, who also won in the general election. Her Senate win coincided with the Freedom Caucus winning control of the House.
“That race didn’t go my way, and I respected the outcome,” Sommers said in a Thursday press release. But “the direction of the Wyoming House,” since then, he said, has “raised serious concerns.”
Sommers pointed to the Freedom Caucus and its budget proposal, which, despite a funding surplus, included major cuts and funding denials. Ahead of the session, the caucus said its sights were set on shrinking spending and limiting the growth of government.
In his Thursday press release, Sommers criticized “decisions that cut food assistance for vulnerable children, reduced business opportunities, slashed funding to the University of Wyoming, eliminated resources for cheatgrass control, denied raises for state employees, and removed positions critical to protecting Wyoming’s water rights.”
Most of those proposals did not make it into the final budget bill.
Sommers also pointed to a controversy that dominated the 2026 session after a Teton County conservative activist handed out campaign checks to lawmakers on the House floor. Lawmakers in both chambers unanimously voted to ban such behavior before a House Special Investigative Committee found that the exchange did not violate the Wyoming Constitution nor did it amount to legislative misconduct. A Laramie County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigation is still underway.
But “controversies like ‘Checkgate’ undermined public trust, and decorum in the House deteriorated,” Sommers said.
“Transparency and accessibility will remain central to how I serve,” Sommers said. “As I’ve done before, I will provide regular updates on legislation, seek your input, and clearly explain my votes.”
Incumbent bows out
Rep. Mike Schmid, R-La Barge, currently represents House District 20, but announced Thursday morning that he would not seek reelection.
“It has truly been an honor to serve as your State Representative for House District 20. When I first ran, I had hoped to serve up to three terms and continue building on what I learned during my first term,” Schmid wrote in a Facebook post. “But life can change your priorities. Over the past year, my family has gone through some difficult times. My wife is dealing with serious health issues, and the death of my brother, Jim, just a few short weeks ago have made it clear to me where I need to spend my time.”
In March, Bill Winney, a perennial candidate and former nuclear submarine commander, announced he would run for House District 20.
The official candidate filing period opens May 14.
This article was originally published by WyoFile and is republished here with permission. WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
Related
The following is a news release from the Wyoming’s Rock Springs Police Department:
ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. — The Rock Springs Police Department is investigating a fatal incident that occurred early this morning in the parking lot of the Flying J Travel Center.
At approximately 5:00 a.m., a Flying J employee was working to direct commercial vehicle traffic within the lot. Initial findings suggest that as one semitruck began to move, the employee was positioned between that vehicle and a second stationary vehicle. The employee was subsequently pinned between the two units.
Rock Springs Fire Department and Castle Rock Ambulance arrived on the scene and coordinated life-saving measures. Despite the rapid response and medical intervention, the employee was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time pending the notification of family members.
The driver involved in the incident, a resident of Idaho, remained on-site and has been fully cooperative with investigators. Following an initial statement and questioning, the driver was released. While the investigation remains open, the incident currently appears to be a tragic accident.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and the staff at Flying J. We also want to commend the rapid response and professional life-saving efforts coordinated by Rock Springs Fire and Castle Rock Ambulance during this difficult call.
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