A surprising find emerged during a routine survey in a California creek. A tooth belonging to an Ice Age Pacific mastodon was discovered, as announced by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) in San Mateo County, California.
Discovering the Past
Mastodons, large herbivorous creatures that resembled elephants, went extinct approximately 11,700 years ago, towards the end of the Ice Age. Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch from Balance Hydrologics found the tooth while surveying a creek. She was working on a project aimed at improving the habitat for the California red-legged frog.
“As a geologist, I’ve encountered various findings, but nothing as fascinating as this,” Lynch stated. Initially mistaking the molar for an oddly shaped rock, Lynch was surprised to find it in pristine condition.
The Examination
Wayne Thompson, CEO of Pacific Paleontology, assessed the tooth and estimated its age to be between 50,000 and 100,000 years. Reports of the tooth being merely 10,000 years old are inaccurate, according to Thompson.
The tooth’s well-preserved state suggests minimal movement in the creek from where the mastodon likely died. Thompson emphasized, “Mastodon teeth have fragile roots, and this specimen retained most of its roots, indicating it wasn’t heavily transported by the stream.”
Further Exploration
Thompson hypothesizes that the mastodon’s skull and possibly more remains are still buried at the site. Researchers from Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability plan to carbon date the tooth for precise aging. A 3-D scan will also be made to create a replica for further study.
Mastodons preferred to inhabit creek and river valleys, feeding on leaves instead of grasses, unlike mammoths. Thompson noted that alder trees, a favorite food source for mastodons, still grow abundantly along the creek where the tooth was found.