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While gardeningMan finds mammoth jaw – and thinks it’s a baseball
He probably won’t forget this find: A man from New York State came across a mammoth pine while gardening. Archaeologists are delighted.
A man discovered a fossilized mammoth pine while gardening at his home in upstate New York. The man initially thought he had encountered baseballs, Robert Feranec, director of research and collections and curator of ice age animals at the New York State Museum, said on Wednesday. But then he realized that he was holding huge teeth in his hand. Employees from the New York State Museum and Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange) then arrived to carefully remove the bones from the earth.
The jaw is currently undergoing extensive scientific examination, including using the carbon dating method. The aim is to find out how old the mammoth is, what it ate and what habitat it lived in, according to the New York State Museum website. The find is referred to as a “window into the Ice Age”.
Feranec emphasized the importance of such finds. “This mammoth pine will deepen our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems in this region. Fossils allow us to reconstruct ancient environments and better understand the world around us today.”
Museum staff and other scientists unearthed a complete, well-preserved jaw of an adult American mastodon (Mammut americanum), as well as a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of New York City after the discovery in September, the museum said. “While the jaw is the star of the exhibition, the additional toe and rib fragments provide valuable context and the potential for further research,” said behavioral scientist Cory Harris. “We also hope to be able to further examine the immediate area to see if any additional bones have been preserved.”
First find in eleven years
“While the jaw is the star of the exhibition, the additional toe and rib fragments provide valuable context and the potential for further research,” said behavioral scientist Cory Harris. “We also hope to be able to further examine the immediate area to see if any additional bones have been preserved.”
According to the information, this is the first discovery of a completely preserved mammoth jaw in New York in eleven years. It is expected to be opened to the public next year. Around 50 mastodon fossils have already been discovered in the area around the site.
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(home, dpa)
