New York resident finds 11,000-year-old mastodon jaw in backyard

A resident of Stockton, New York spotted two giant teeth sticking out of the base of a plant in their backyard. Pushing the dirt aside, they found even more loose chompers.

"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 lucky person said.

New York State Museum archaeologists hurried to the home where, joined by SUNY Orange researchers, they began to carefully excavate the area.

According to CBS News, the team "unearthed additional fossils, including a full, well-preserved adult jaw and fragments of rib and toe bones that once belonged to a mastodon — ancient giants that existed during the Ice Age and became extinct some 10,000 years ago. The term refers to a group of massive elephant-like species, like the mammoth."

Now, scientists will use carbon dating and other analytical techniques to understand exactly when the animal lived and its diet before putting it on display at the museum for everyone to admire.

Previously:
• A 5-year-old boy teaches us about dinosaurs in an animation he drew, wrote and narrated
• Why dinosaur bones were the real nail in religion's coffin
• Fossilized dinosaur poop reveals their dietary secrets
• Ancient humans were dino fans