Mastodon Remains Unearthed in New York State

A resident of Orange County, New York noticed something odd poking through the topsoil in his backyard. Upon closer examination – and after calling in some experts – it turned out to be the fossilized remains of a mastodon.

Paleontologists from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange determined the fossils are of a well-preserved jaw of an adult mastodon, plus a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment.

“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,” Robert Feranec, the museum’s curator of Ice Age Animals, said in a statement. “Fossils allow us to reconstruct ancient environments and better understand the world around us today.”

The homeowner, whose name was not released (probably to prevent his backyard from being overrun by cosplaying paleontologists), was pleased with his discovery. “When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts. I’m thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community.”

Mastodons areoften confused with wooly mammoths, but they are a different species and a more distant relative of living elephants. About 25 million years ago, the mastodon diverged from the line that became today’s elephants and lived throughout North America, as far north as the Arctic coast of Alaska and as far south as Honduras. They went extinct about 11,000 years ago.

The museum says the mastodon jaw and accompanying fragments will be carbon dated and analyzed to determine the extinct beast’s diet.  At some point in the new year, it plans to highlight the find in a public exhibit.

Photo credit: New York State Museum

George ‘Rinaldino’ Teichmann / Sci News