Students
Name Prehistoric Fish Found on PWSH Campus
January 20, 2006
 A
Hurricane Katrina evacuee enrolled at Plano West Senior High School
and his biology teacher discovered what the students have affectionately
named "X-fish" - a prehistoric fish - on the school grounds.
Biology Teacher Wesley
Kirpach (pictured) and his students are excavating the
"Xiphactinus
audax"
fish, and have, thus far, found approximately
10 of 100 vertebrae and as many as two dozen vetebral spines and
ribs.
 UPDATE
(January 25) - Teacher
Wes Kirpach reports, "We have eight vertebrae, at least two dozen
vertebral
spines, one rib, several unidentified
bone
fragments,
a complete skeleton
of a different fish (much smaller at 12-14 inches instead of
feet), skull fragment from another fish, five species of shark
teeth, several
detached small fish vertebrae and an endless amount of oyster
and clam fossils. This past weekend there were 20+ people working
the
dig, and we plan on working every Saturday unless there is
moisture on the ground or there is a threat of rain. It has truly
been
a great experience and we all look forward to discoveries in
the near future. We
thank all of those who have come out to the dig site to help!" Pictured
- Student Brandon Alexander
Katrina Student 'Looking for
Oysters'
 While
looking for "oysters," which
were found, student Brandon Alexander (junior and Katrina student),
discovered a fossil which appeared to be a vertebrae embedded in
the stratified slate in the creek bed. He and his teacher, Mr.
Kirpach, began to excavate the vertebrae from the slate. While
doing so, they discovered a second, third and fourth vertebrae.
Wes is not only a biology teacher, but an amateur paleontologist.
He quickly assessed that the vertebrae was representative of a
prehistoric fish.
Discovery Theme of Excavation
"Discovery seems to be the theme,
as I've heard many times from students saying to their friends,
'You just never know what might turn up. Every rock could have
a dinosaur attached,'" said Mr. Kirpach, who joined high school,
middle school and elementary school students, teachers, administrators
and even news media for a full-day excavations this past weekend
of the prehistoric remains found north of the campus' tennis courts.
 "It
just goes to show what a great community we have at this school," he
continued. "We've had a very diverse group of individuals
respecting one another and working together. The only noises have
been laughter and excitement. It's been an experience to last a
lifetime."
At any given time, there were as
many as 40 and as few as 10 people at the site.
Expert Verification
Dr. Kent Neuman from the Shuler
Museum of Paleontology at
Southern Methodist University was quickly involved by invitation
to verify the discovery. Dr. Neuman concurred
with Teacher Wes Kirpach that the fossil discovery was of a species
entitled: xiphactinus audax.
This is a fish that is
estimated to be from 60-65 million years ago (Cretaceous Period)
and was approximately 13-15 feet in length.
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