Researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange excavated a complete prehistoric mastodon jaw from a backyard in the Hudson Valley hamlet of Scotchtown, New York State Commissioner of Education Betty Rosa announced Tuesday.
In addition to the full, well-preserved, adult mastodon jaw – the first such find in New York state in 11 years – workers also unearthed a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment, Rosa said in a statement.
The owner of the Orange County property where the jaw was found had noticed two teeth concealed by a plant, and then dug up two additional teeth just inches underground.
“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 resident said. “I'm thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community.”
The fossils will be scheduled for carbon dating and analysis to determine the mastodon’s age and increase understanding of the region’s Ice Age inhabitants, Rosa said.
Orange County sites account for about one-third of the more than 150 mastodon fossils found statewide. It is considered "New York’s premier hotspot for the descendants of elephants and mammoths."
“We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved," Cory Harris, chair of SUNY Orange’s Behavioral Sciences Department, said.