Digging in his garden to plant flowers and stumbling upon the remnants of an ice age: this sounds like a scene from a novel that became reality. In Scotchtown, New York State, a mastodon jaw thousands of years old recently surfaced.
It all began with two massive teeth slightly protruding from the ground. Curious, the amateur gardener decided to dig further and unearthed an almost intact mandible. This prehistoric treasure was accompanied by bone fragments, including a piece of rib and a toe fragment. Aware of the value of his discovery, the man immediately contacted local specialists.
Experts from the New York State Museum and the State University of New York (SUNY) quickly confirmed the importance of the fossil. The mandible belongs to an adult mastodon, an iconic species of North America that went extinct about 13,000 years ago. This jawbone is the first found in New York State in more than a decade.
But why such excitement? The perfectly preserved mandible offers a wealth of information. Through isotopic analyses and carbon dating, researchers hope to determine the animal's exact age, its dietary habits, and its role within the ecosystem of the ice age.
The mastodon, a distant relative of the elephant, differed from its cousin, the mammoth. While the mammoth was adapted to grazing on grass, the mastodon crushed branches and woody plants using its cone-shaped teeth. This particular diet indicates a forest-dwelling lifestyle adapted to the diverse climates of the Pleistocene.
This discovery also sheds light on interactions between megafauna and early humans. Nearby sites, such as the Dutchess Quarry Caves, have yielded tools dating back to the same era. These clues suggest a possible coexistence, or even exploitation of these animals by hunter-gatherers.
Beyond the animal itself, an entire epoch is revealed. At the time, glaciers covered part of the continent, and land bridges still connected Asia to America via the Bering Strait. This harsh climate shaped migrations and extinctions, leaving indelible marks on Earth's history.
In 2025, this jawbone will join the collections of the New York State Museum. Displayed to the public, it will offer a unique opportunity to explore the ecology and mysteries of the ice ages while serving as a reminder of the fragility of ecosystems in the face of change.
Article author: Cédric DEPOND