Geology: Inyo County, containing many elevation extremes, has the highest summit in the continental US (Mt. Whitney), and the lowest area in the Northern Hemisphere (Badwater Basin). The canyon is especially perfect for fossil hunting because it drains the water from a large portion of the Inyo Mountains, causing the water to cut a canyon and expose layers of fossils.

Paleontology: Well preserved Paleozoic invertebrate fossils, some 485 to 415 million years old, can be found in the canyon.

Blue Green Algae is commonly found.

So are horn coral.

Works Cited (Highly Recommended to Find More Information) :

“Paleozoic Era Fossils at Mazourka Canyon, Inyo County, California”, http://inyo2.coffeecup.com/mazourkacanyon/mazourka.html