Do you know everything you can find in your backyard garden? Well, this New York citizen didn’t imagine it. He found a rare fossil that caught his attention. Instead of throwing it away, he decided to give it to a museum. Thus, soon, the trail of a mastodon appeared in the garden of his house.
A resident of the American state of New York found a mastodon jaw. This is the ancestor of modern elephants. It was in a very good state of conservation. And it appeared in none other than the backyard of his house, the state museum reported. After being notified, experts excavated the fragment and began studying it.
More remains
It wasn’t just that. The search soon led to the discovery of other traces. Finally, the museum announced it. «The jaw, along with other bone fragments, was analyzed by researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange College. “They were in the backyard of a house near Scotchtown, upstate New York.” This is what is stated in the brief statement published on the museum’s website.
They reveal that the owner of the house observed two teeth protruding from the ground. Far from being scared, he began to dig and soon realized that the object could be of scientific interest. Following this, he contacted specialists. And after being informed, professional excavations began. This is how it was discovered that he had a mastodon in the garden.
Ice Age
This is the first discovery of this type in this state in the last 11 years, the publication highlights. The skeleton fragment found belonged to an adult mastodon.
The remains will be studied to find out their age and the animal’s diet. They also hope to learn more about his life during the Ice Age. In 2025, once the research is completed, the jaw will be deposited in the New York State Museum, the statement indicates.
