New York Homeowner’s Yardwork Reveals Complete Mastodon Jaw Bones and Teeth

New York Homeowner’s Yardwork Reveals Complete Mastodon Jaw Bones and Teeth

In New York, a homeowner in Orange County made an extraordinary discovery while doing yard work—a fully intact adult mastodon jaw, along with additional bone fragments and teeth.

The find was quickly brought to the attention of researchers from the New York State Museum, who recovered the jaw, a piece of a toe bone, and a rib fragment. These fossils will undergo carbon dating and further analysis to uncover details about the mastodon’s age, diet, and habitat.

The discovery began when the homeowner spotted two teeth partially hidden beneath plant fronds on their property. Digging a bit deeper, they uncovered two more teeth just inches below the surface. This prompted museum staff and faculty from SUNY Orange Community College to conduct an excavation, revealing the remarkably well-preserved jaw of an adult mastodon.

Dr. Robert Feranec, director of Research & Collections at the New York State Museum, described the find as a valuable addition to the understanding of Ice Age ecosystems in the region. “This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, enhancing our understanding of the Ice Age environments,” he said.

Mastodons, distant relatives of modern elephants, diverged from their mammoth cousins roughly 27 million years ago. These Ice Age giants could grow up to 10 feet tall (3 meters) and weigh as much as 6 tons (5,400 kilograms). They disappeared around 11,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of factors including climate change, human activity, and habitat loss.

While mastodon remains are rarer than those of mammoths, Orange County has proven to be a fossil-rich region, accounting for one-third of New York State’s mastodon discoveries. This recent find marks the first significant mastodon excavation in the area in over a decade.

Dr. Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Orange’s Behavioral Sciences Department, noted that the team plans to continue exploring the site in hopes of uncovering more preserved bones.

Once the analysis is complete, the fossils will be preserved and included in public programming at the museum, with plans to showcase them in 2025. This discovery, the latest in a series of mastodon finds across North America, underscores the ongoing potential to uncover remnants of prehistoric life hiding just beneath the surface.

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