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Two big teeth sticking out of the ground: New Yorker unearths mastodon jaw in his own backyard
The mastodon jaw was found after two teeth were noticed sticking out of the ground. Source: New York State Museum
A New York resident accidentally saw two large teeth sticking out from under the lawn in his own backyard. After digging a small hole, he found the complete jaw of a mastodon, an extinct relative of elephants that lived from five million to 11 thousand years ago.
Stunned by the discovery, the man called researchers from the New York State Museum and Suny Orange. During further excavations, in addition to the jaw, experts found a piece of toe bone and fragments of a mastodon rib in the yard, The Guardian reports.
According to the researchers, mastodons roamed the northeastern United States in the Pleistocene era, and many remains of these large extinct mammals from the proboscis order have been found in the region.
However, it is the first find of its kind to be found in New York in over 11 years, and one of 150 mastodon fossils found statewide, about a third of them in Orange County. Interestingly, in 2000, a complete 13,000-year-old skeleton was unearthed in Hyde Park, New York.
"While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and rib fragments offer valuable context and the potential for additional research. We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved," said Cory Harris, head of Suny Orange's behavioral sciences department.
Scientists hope to learn the age of the mastodon and details of its habitat.
Robert Feranec, director of research and curator of ice age animal collections at the New York State Museum, said the discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of the area. "This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the ice age ecosystems from this region," he said.
Unlike mammoths, which ate grass, mastodons are believed to have used their large square teeth to cut and crush branches, leaves, and other parts of bushes and trees. Therefore, their jaws are interesting for research.
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