Partial mastodon remains discovered in Orange County backyard
The students found two teeth, a lower jaw, vertebrae and ribs.
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The partial remains of a mastodon that dates back 10,000 to 13,000 years were uncovered by Orange County Community College students in a home’s backyard.
The archaeological dig site is the same location in Scotchtown where a complete mastodon jaw bone was found last year. Officials said at the time that another dig would be planned to unearth additional bones from the prehistoric animal.
The students found two teeth, a lower jaw, vertebrae and ribs. They were sent to the New York State Museum for more studies.
A complete adult mastodon jaw was found last year in a Scotchtown backyard.
The National Park Service says mastodons were widespread in North America and have elephants and mammoths as distant cousins. Their last shared ancestor lived over 20 million years ago.
