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.
