archeologist have been furiously digging to unearth a sensational mastodon skeleton in Iowa . It ’s the first time that well - preserved remains of the prehistoric savage have been scientifically excavated in the state – and what a beauty it is .
investigator at the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist were first contacted in the fall of 2022 after a local resident of Wayne County slip up across a unknown , retentive os poking out of the brook bed .
A preliminary probe revealed that the bone was the femur of an out mastodon . They also discover part of a tusk , which they believed to be still attached to the skull , sparking pastime in a full scientific probe . After securing the necessary funds , archaeologists rejoin to the site in August 2024 and embark on a 12 - sidereal day barb , excavating the skull and several more bones .
Look at the size of this thing!Image credit: Kirk Murray/University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist
Their radiocarbon dating of the remains suggests the mastodon experience around 13,600 years ago , roaming North America towards the destruction of the last Ice eld when the animals go down into experimental extinction .
Mastodons were large mammals similar to both modern - day elephants and mammoths that stomped around North America from around 3.5 million year ago until 10,500 old age ago . One of thekey differencesbetween mastodons and mammoth was their teeth : mastodon teeth had unusual cusps specially adapted for eat woody plant , while mammoth possess teeth that were plane and ridge , perfect for munch grasses .
The uncovering in Iowa is particularly exciting as it coincide with the era in which humans had settled in the part . This overlap is significant because it ’s well - document that mastodons werehunted and butcheredby these former inhabitants of North America .
The archaeologists have already discover several homo - made artifact at the situation , including stone tool . While they are a few thousand twelvemonth youthful than the mastodon skull , it suggest that some fascinating discoveries could be reveal by further research .
“ We ’re really hoping to find grounds of human interaction with this creature — perhaps the missile head and knives that were used to stamp out the animal and do the initial butchery . There ’s also potential grounds on the clappers themselves — there could be identifiable undercut marks , ” John Doershuk of the University of Iowa Office of the State Archaeologist ( OSA ) said in astatement .
Once it ’s been fully studied and preserved , OSA is plan on putting the bones on display at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon for the public to peruse .
