A recent excavation in Texas yielded some “colossal creatures,” according to local officials – and archaeologists are hopeful more will be uncovered soon.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced the discovery in a recent press release. In a statement, officials said the excavation took place in Lubbock during the environmental review for Loop 88, a proposed state highway.

During the archaeological survey, diggers uncovered ancient bones dating back to prehistoric times. The remains belonged to megafauna, which are large mammals.

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Chris Ringstaff, a project planner with TxDOT’s environmental affairs division, said that megafauna bones “[are] not unusual in the region.”

Ringstaff also noted that at least one giant ground sloth was identified, thanks to its distinctive tooth.

“Whether all the bones are giant ground sloth or there are different animals such as mammoth or mastodon, we’re not sure,” he said.

“Paleontologists will give us positive identification.”

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“We’re here to get the road built, but who doesn’t love digging up big ol’ animals?” Ringstaff added.

TxDOT noted that the Lone Star State is home to many dried-out lakes called playas, which date back to the Ice Age.

Archaeologists hope to find evidence of more Ice Age megafauna at the Lubbock excavation site. (Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT))

“In prehistoric times, animals and humans used playas as water sources and these sites can sometimes contain evidence of human activity,” the press release noted.

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Archaeologists are still searching for small artifacts. They’re also using dating techniques to determine the age of the remains. 

If any proof of human settlement is found, the project will be temporarily halted.

“Should the site reveal human activity with megafauna from the Ice Age, it would be [the] first of its kind for a TxDOT project,” the statement said.

The skeleton of a giant ground sloth, seen here. Excavators found remains of a giant ground sloth at the Lubbock site. (Getty Images)

Several prehistoric bones are found in the U.S. every year. 

Last summer, archaeologists in Iowa unearthed a 13,000-year-old mastodon skull.

Later in 2024, a New York homeowner found a complete mastodon jaw in his Scotchtown backyard.

Veteran Democratic campaign strategist James Carville advised the new chairman of Arizona’s Democratic Party to “shut up” or start a new progressive party.

The Democratic Party has been struggling to re-define itself since the election, as leaders debate over whether to moderate or double-down on far-left identity politics. Carville, a frequent critic of some of the party’s more progressive members, noted that the Democratic Party is doing unusually well in the red state of Arizona, where they have a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators. However, he warned that far-left politics and in-fighting may endanger this rare opportunity.

Carville read from a recent New York Times article, headlined, “A Vulnerable Governor and an Intraparty Feud Signal a Bumpy Road for Democrats.” The Times reported that Arizaona Democratic chairman Robert Branscomb had been “clashing with staff members over personnel decisions and accused them of sabotaging him by withholding financial documents.” The article also claimed Branscomb, “wrote to party members detailing the infighting and attacking Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, both Democrats, for criticizing one of his staffing choices.”

Carville praised Kelly and Gallego, arguing to Branscomb, “You ain’t been elected to s—. So why don’t you shut up?” 

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He went on to argue in his video posted to the Politicon YouTube channel, “that’s the problem with this, these people from the ‘progressive’ whatever the f— that is, that come into these state parties that didn’t do anything that have outstanding Democratic elected officials. He’s fighting with the governor. We finally have a Democratic governor, and this guy exemplifies to me what’s wrong with that wing of the party.”

He noted one quote attributed to Branscomb, where he reportedly declared, “I will not be coerced, and I will not be silenced,” and offered a barbed response.

“Well why don’t you just shut up anyway? Because you haven’t gotten elected to anything. And why don’t you pay attention and work for the people that are out there who are not just trying to win elections but are actually winning elections?” Carville asked.

Carville argued this is part of a larger problem, sharing another purported example in Nevada, in which he called “one of the most successful state parties in the history of the United States,” until the majority women state legislature took command of the party and turned “it into a useless glob of nothing.”

U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) attends Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 20, 2024.  (REUTERS/Vincent Alban)

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“You got one goal, dude, that’s to win elections, not run your jackass mouth, which is all this guy Branscomb is good for,” Carville said. 

He suggested that Democrats need to confront these members of the progressive wing of their party and propose an important question.

Political commentator James Carville ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“They need to really consider whether they’re Democrats or not,” he said. “Maybe they ought to go join the pronoun justice – social, I don’t know, equity party or whatever they’re doing.”

Carville continued, “When you don’t respect people who go out and win elections and work and put their names out front and dare to lose then there’s no use for you in Democratic politics. That’s my view.”

The Arizona Democratic Party didn’t immediately respond to a request for a comment. 

An extended family of six adults and six children brought home more than just souvenirs from Costa Rica after touring a bat cave.

The family that is spread across three states — Georgia, Texas and Washington — returned home feeling sick after a recent vacation.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, on January 17, 2025, a Georgia infectious disease physician notified CDC of suspected histoplasmosis cases.

Prior to the report, the family had visited the Venado Caves in Costa Rica, which was linked to a previous histoplasmosis outbreak.

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While there were 13 family members traveling on December 21–28, only 12, six adults aged 42–49 and six children aged 8–16, who visited the cave were diagnosed with histoplasmosis.

Histoplasmosis is defined by the CDC as a fungal infection that primarily affects the lungs.

Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma organisms, which are often found in soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings. 

Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma organisms, which are often found in soil contaminated with bird or bat droppings like the Venado Cave. (NYSDEC/Nancy Heaslip)

The condition is often misdiagnosed, as it was in this particular case.

One adult went to an emergency room and was hospitalized because of an abnormal chest radiography.

The findings raised concerns about lung cancer.

All 12 members who toured the cave became ill after ​​8-19 days of the exposure.

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The 12 family members all reported seeing bats in the cave. The Venado Caves in Costa Rica are also associated with another histoplasmosis outbreak in 1998–1999 that affected 51 people. (iStock)

Family members experienced headaches, malaise, fever, night sweats, myalgias, and respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

They all recovered to full health 28 days after exposure.

The Venado Caves in Costa Rica are also associated with another histoplasmosis outbreak in 1998–1999 that affected 51 people.

In response to this outbreak, the CDC alerted health departments through an Epidemic Information Exchange notification to help identify additional cases.

The CDC has been collaborating with the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and the Costa Rican Ministry of Health to incorporate information about histoplasmosis risks into the caving tour’s waiver forms.

In addition, the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica issued a health alert in March 2025 notifying the public of the risk of contracting histoplasmosis from the cave tours.

Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.