Fossil Discovery: Rare mastodon jaw unearthed in Orange County, New York

A homeowner in Orange County, New York, was working in his yard when he spotted odd, rounded objects poking through the plants. At first, the resident thought they were baseballs, but after picking them up it became clear they were giant fossil teeth. The find led to the excavation of a complete mastodon jaw, a discovery state officials said was the first of its kind in New York in more than 11 years.

A backyard surprise of a lifetime

The homeowner first found two teeth hidden by a plant, and after digging just a few inches down, two more turned up. He decided to call in the experts. Teams from the New York State Museum and the State University of New York Orange carried out the excavation. The site is a home near Scotchtown, in Orange County.

The homeowner first found two teeth hidden by a plant, and after digging just a few inches down, two more turned up. He decided to call in the experts. Teams from the New York State Museum and the State. At first, the resident thought they were baseballs, but after picking them up it became clear they were giant fossil teeth. The find led to the excavation of a complete mastodon jaw, a discovery state officials said was the first of its kind in New York in more than eleven years.

The dig recovered more than the jaw. Researchers also unearthed a piece of toe bone and a rib fragment. The jaw is believed to be from an adult. A museum scientist said the additional bones offer context and the potential for further research, even though the jaw is the star of the find.

The homeowner, who has stayed anonymous, said he was thrilled that his property had yielded such an important find for science.

Orange County is well known to fossil hunters. More than 150 mastodon fossils have been unearthed across New York and Orange County accounts for about a third of them, which has earned it recognition as a hotspot. Mastodons were distant relatives of modern elephants that roamed North America between 3.75 million and 11,000 years ago. They stood 8 to 10 feet tall and weighed up to six tons.

The fossils were slated for scientific analysis, and the museum planned to show them to the public in 2025. For one New York homeowner, a Saturday chore became a small piece of Ice Age history.

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