Although construction continued nearby on the site Tuesday afternoon, Clark said the university is treating the area as a paleontological site and has closed off public access to the area to keep it from being disturbed.

“We just need to be very careful about what we’ve found,” Clark said.

Loren Davis, an associate professor of anthropology at OSU, was called to the site to examine the find, the university said in a press release.

“There are quite a few bones, and dozens of pieces,” said Davis. “Some of the bones are not in very good shape, but some are actually quite well preserved."

Davis said there are no human remains at the site. According to OSU, since the find does not appear to involve humans or human artifacts, the bones are not considered part of an archaeological site, nor is the site entitled to any protections under Oregon law.

Davis said the bones were found in an area that could once have been a bog or marsh, and that the discovery of ancient mammal bones is not unusual in the Willamette Valley.