Summary:

A complete mastodon jaw was discovered in a backyard in upstate New York.
The homeowner initially mistook the large teeth for baseballs.
The find is the first complete mastodon jaw unearthed in New York in 11 years.
The fossils will be carbon-dated and analyzed to learn about the mastodon's age, diet, and habitat.
The discovery will be on public display in 2025.

Backyard Dig Uncovers Ice Age Relic: A Complete Mastodon Jaw!

An upstate New York resident made a jaw-dropping discovery while gardening – a complete mastodon jaw, along with other bone fragments. The find, near Scotchtown, NY, is being hailed by scholars as a significant contribution to our understanding of Ice Age ecosystems.

The homeowner initially mistook the massive teeth for baseballs! Experts from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange carefully excavated the site, revealing a remarkably well-preserved jaw, a toe bone, and a rib fragment.

Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Orange’s behavioral sciences department, highlights the significance of the additional bones, stating they offer "valuable context and the potential for additional research."

This is the first complete mastodon jaw found in New York in 11 years! The discovery adds to the over 150 mastodon fossils found in the state, with about a third located in Orange County.

The jaw, along with the other fossils, will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine the mastodon's age, diet, and habitat. The findings will be publicly displayed in 2025.

Robert Feranec, the state museum’s director of research and collections, emphasizes the importance of the find, saying it offers "a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species..." This discovery significantly enhances our knowledge of Ice Age life in the region.

Source: The Associated Press