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A scientist in California recently found a 10,000-year-old tooth from an ancient animal called a Pacific mastodon. Brigid Lynch, an earth scientist, noticed the unusual object while working at a nature preserve in San Mateo County. Paleontologists, who are experts that study ancient life, confirmed that it was a well-preserved adult mastodon molar, or back tooth.
Pacific mastodons were large plant-eating mammals related to modern elephants. They lived in North America for about 2.5 million years, especially in western areas such as California and Oregon. However, the species went extinct more than 10,000 years ago because climate change damaged their habitat and humans hunted them.
The tooth was donated to Stanford University, where researchers will use carbon dating to determine its exact age. Scientists say that studying fossils helps them understand past wildlife and environments, which can help people protect modern ecosystems in the future.
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A scientist working at a nature preserve in San Mateo County, California, has discovered a remarkably well-preserved fossilized tooth belonging to an ancient Pacific mastodon. Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch initially spotted what appeared to be a peculiar rock. Paleontologists later confirmed that the object was an adult mastodon molar, with expert Wayne Thompson calling it the most complete mastodon molar ever found in the region.
Pacific mastodons were large herbivorous mammals closely related to modern elephants. The species inhabited North America for about 2.5 million years, roaming across the American West, including present-day California, Oregon, and parts of Mexico. They disappeared more than 10,000 years ago due to climate change affecting their habitat alongside pressure from human hunting.
The fossilized molar has been donated to Stanford University, where researchers will employ carbon dating to determine its exact age. Christine Garcia, a curator at Stanford, noted that fossils provide a unique opportunity to study past biodiversity, which can guide better decisions for protecting ecosystems today.
The find is part of several recent mastodon fossil discoveries across the United States. In 2024, a New York resident found a mastodon jaw beneath their lawn, a year after a woman discovered a foot-long mastodon tooth on a central California beach.