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Scientist Discovers 10,000-Year-Old Pacific Mastodon Molar in California
Just the facts
Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch uncovered a fossilized adult Pacific mastodon molar at a nature preserve managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in San Mateo County, California. Paleontologist Wayne Thompson confirmed the authenticity of the specimen, describing it as the most complete mastodon molar recovered from the San Francisco Bay Area. The fossil was donated to the Stanford University School of Sustainability, where researchers will utilize carbon dating to establish its precise age. Pacific mastodons were large herbivorous mammals related to modern elephants that inhabited Western North America until going extinct over 10,000 years ago.
Why this is news
Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch discovered a 10,000-year-old fossilized Pacific mastodon molar while conducting field work at a nature preserve in San Mateo County, California.
Sources
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