Kids’ summer adventures often end in finding cool rocks. But 11-year-old Touren Pope found a prehistoric turtle.
Back in July, the young boy was on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public land in southwest Wyoming with his grandparents, Patti and Tom Patterson.
That’s when he discovered a nearly complete, 48-million-year-old soft-shell turtle fossil, which is now housed at the Tate Geological Museum in Casper. And yes, little Touren got to name his rocky find!
According to People, Touren said that he and his grandparents had been spotting white, clam-like shells when boredom set in. Then something “started doing weird stuff,” he said. That was actually a turtle shell that was trapped in rock sediment since the Eocene epoch.
His grandparents snapped a photo and texted it to Touren’s mom, Tessa Patterson, who happens to be an amateur geologist. She later said it “blew all of our minds.”
Thus, the family knew how to follow federal guidelines: they left the specimen in place and contacted the BLM. On public lands managed by the agency, it is illegal to dig up vertebrate fossils without a research permit.
Important finds must be reported so professionals can assess and preserve them.
11-Year-Old Discovers 48-Million-Year-Old Fossil While Searching for Rocks with His Grandparents https://t.co/a7BC766ZQ8
— People (@people) February 11, 2026
After the BLM paleontology staff in the Rock Springs Field Office were alerted, J.P. Cavigelli, collections manager at the Tate Geological Museum, got involved. Cavigelli’s team could tell it was “a pretty complete turtle shell and worth collecting.”
They were permitted to excavate the fossil properly, and Touren was invited to help, too. The fossil was then taken to the Tate Geological Museum in Casper, where the rock will be studied now and then, eventually displayed.
The 48-million-year-old turtle (named “Little Timmy” by Touren) is a soft-shell turtle. This group still exists today. Cavigelli said that anyone who has seen modern soft-shell turtles in Florida or Louisiana will see the species family resemblance.
Officials noted that fossils exposed at the surface can degrade rapidly if not recovered in time, so Touren’s rock hunt paid off. Before the Greater Green River Basin, the region was home to Lake Gosiute, which in turn housed fish, crocodiles and turtles.
“Little Timmy” once swam there and, in time, was laid to rest for millions of years until this 11-year-old came along.
The Green River Formation is rich in species diversity. This snapshot captures nocturnal animals emerging as their diurnal neighbors start to settle in.
This work is commissioned by the NPS to highlight species found in the Fossil Butte Monument in Wyoming. pic.twitter.com/IH8os57gJZ
— Camben Creatives LLC (@CambenCreatives) September 16, 2025
The BLM praised Touren for following the rules. “This discovery would not have been possible without Touren’s keen observation and his decision to report the fossil,” the agency said, noting the public’s role in protecting such resources.
Touren says he had chosen the science path before “Little Timmy” the rock happened.
