Adult Mastodon Jaw Unearthed in Orange County, New York, First in 11 Years

Dec 18, 2024, 12:00 PM

A homeowner in Orange County, New York, discovered a complete mastodon jaw in their backyard, marking the first such find in the state in over 11 years. The jaw, along with additional bone fragments including a piece of a toe bone and a rib fragment, was unearthed in Scotchtown. The discovery was made when the homeowner noticed two teeth protruding from the soil under a plant and, upon further digging, found two more teeth. Researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange conducted the excavation and recovered the fossils. The mastodon jaw, believed to be from an adult, will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine its age, diet, and habitat. This find adds to the over 150 mastodon fossils discovered across New York, with about a third found in Orange County, contributing to the understanding of the region's Ice Age inhabitants.