New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his backyard

SCOTCHTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Scholars are cheering the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw that was discovered by a man who discovered two giant teeth while gardening at his home in upstate New York this year.

A mastodon jaw and other bone fragments were discovered in late September in a backyard near the town of Scotland, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of New York City, New York State Museum officials said.

Robert Feranec, director of research and collections and curator of Ice Age animals at the state museum, said the owner of the backyard did not want to be named.

Felanek said Wednesday that the man found what he initially thought was a baseball. “He picked them up and discovered they were teeth,” he said.

Museum officials said excavations conducted by museum and SUNY Orange County staff uncovered a complete and well-preserved adult baby tooth-like lower jaw, as well as a phalange bone and a rib fragment.

“While the jaw is the highlight of the exhibit, the additional toe and rib fragments provide valuable context and opportunities for further study,” said Cory Harris, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at SUNY Orange. Potential. “We also hope to explore the nearby area further to see if any other bones have been preserved. ”

Officials at the Albany State Museum said the jaw is the first complete mastodon jaw found in New York in 11 years. They say there are over 150 fossils here extinct elephant relatives So far, there have been discoveries across the state, with about a third of them in Orange County, the same area where they were recently discovered.

Feranek said the newly unearthed jaw offers “a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the region’s Ice Age ecosystems.”

Museum officials said the fossils will be carbon dated and analyzed to determine the mastodon’s age, diet and habitat during its lifetime and will be put on public display sometime in 2025.