A woman visiting a beach in central California on Memorial Day weekend did some amateur paleontology when she found the worn molar of an adult mastodon sticking out of the sand.
Mastodons, in this case the Pacific mastodon species, were a large, tusked herbivore, whose evolutionary line diverged from that of elephants around 27 million years ago. Mastodons went extinct across North America at the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago.
When she solicited input from social media, a fossil collections adviser at the local Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History informed her that it was a mastodon tooth and asked Ms. Schuh where the tooth was. Winter storms have been known to uncover fossils, and the tooth could have been washed down to the beach from higher elevations.
“Jim told us that he had stumbled upon it during one of his regular jogs along the beach but wasn’t sure of what he had found until he saw a picture of the tooth on the news. He was so excited to hear it was a mastodon tooth and was eager to share it with the museum,” Liz Broughton, the museum’s visitor experience manager, recounted in a statement.The age of the fossil find has not yet been determined, but museum officials believe it to be less than a million years old.
Indonesia Berita Terbaru, Indonesia Berita utama
Similar News:Anda juga dapat membaca berita serupa dengan ini yang kami kumpulkan dari sumber berita lain.
FBI seeking photos, videos to identify suspects in Florida Memorial Day beach shootingAuthorities are searching for three suspects in the shooting, which police said began as a group of people fought in front of a busy stretch of shops on the Hollywood Oceanfront Broadwalk.
Baca lebih lajut »
Santa Cruz Police Evacuate Beach, Arrest 2 in Connection With Memorial Day ShootingSanta Cruz police arrested two San Jose men Monday night for shooting a gun during Memorial Day festivities on Cowell Beach, according to a statement from the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Baca lebih lajut »
NJ Transit moved 80K to Taylor Swift concerts at MetLife on Memorial Day weekendNJ Transit moved a total of 80,000 fans to Taylor Swift's three MetLife concerts.
Baca lebih lajut »
Police: Group wanted for criminal mischief in Wildwood over Memorial Day weekendA weekend of family fun at the Jersey Shore was marred by unruly teens, vehicle burglaries and damage to town property this Memorial Day.
Baca lebih lajut »
9 youths charged, accused of attacking Marines on Memorial Day weekend, caught on videoOne of the Marines said they asked the teens to stop shooting off fireworks, and the teens responded by attacking them.
Baca lebih lajut »