A New York homeowner found a very unexpected relic lurking just beneath his lawn while gardening: a jawbone from a long-extinct giant.
The jawbone was determined by researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange to be from a mastodon, an ancient elephant-like species that went extinct around 10,000 years ago.
The Orange County, New York resident initially spotted two of the teeth hidden behind some plants, and initially thought they were baseballs, before finding two more teeth buried just below.
"When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts," the unnamed resident said in a statement.
"I'm thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community."
What does a mastodon look like?
Mastodons lived from the late Miocene through the Pleistocene epoch, from around 3.75 million to 11,000 years ago, according to the Illinois State Museum.
They were similar in size to modern elephants, with males standing about 10 feet tall at the shoulder, but had large curved tusks and their bodies were covered in long, shaggy hair.
Mastodons primarily inhabited Central and North America and were herbivores, feeding on shrubs, trees, and other plants.
They are thought to have lived in herds, likely similar to modern elephants.
What is the difference between a mastodon and a woolly mammoth?
Although both are elephant relatives, mastodons are distinct from woolly mammoths. Mammoths were more closely related to modern elephants, whereas mastodons were part of a separate family.
Mastodons were slightly shorter and stockier than mammoths, with a more robust skeleton. Mastodons also had straighter or slightly curved tusks, used for stripping bark and fighting, while mammoths had long, dramatically curved tusks used for defense and display.
While mammoths were adapted to cold, open tundras and the grasslands of Europe, North America and Asia during the Ice Age, mastodons were found in woodlands and swampy areas across Central and North America.
Mastodon fossils have been unearthed across the U.S., with notable discoveries in areas like Florida, Michigan and New York. In fact, 150 mastodon fossils have been found in New York alone, around a third of which within Orange County.
When this newly discovered jawbone was recovered by experts, other bone fragments—including a toe bone and a piece of rib—were found alongside it.
The jaw is thought to have belonged to an adult mastodon, but more information regarding the age and diet of the creature will be determined after carbon dating and more detailed analysis.
"While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and rib fragments offer valuable context and the potential for additional research," Cory Harris, Chair of SUNY Orange's Behavioral Sciences Department, said in the statement.
"We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved."
This discovery marks the first time that such a find has been unearthed in New York for over 11 years. The artifacts are hoped to be featured in public programming from 2025.
"This discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of New York and the ongoing efforts to understand its past," Robert Feranec, director of research & collections and curator of Ice Age Animals at the New York State Museum, said in a statement.
The extinction of mastodons and mammoths, along with many other large Ice Age animals, was likely caused by a combination of factors, including the changing climate at the end of the Ice Age and hunting from ancient humans.
"This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems from this region," Feranec said. "Fossils are resources that provide remarkable snapshots of the past, allowing us to not only reconstruct ancient ecosystems but also provide us with better context and understanding of the current world around us."
"Each discovery like this one brings us one step closer to piecing together the full story of New York."
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