A 10,000-year-old tooth from an ancient Pacific mastodon, a large mammal that once inhabited North America, was recently discovered by a California scientist. Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch found what she initially thought was a peculiar rock while working at a preserve in San Mateo County.
Paleontologists later confirmed the object was an adult Pacific mastodon molar, according to a Wednesday news release from the Midpeninsula regional open space district (Midpen). Paleontologist Wayne Thompson stated the tooth is in "immaculate condition" and is the "most complete mastodon molar from our area."
Pacific mastodons, related to modern-day elephants, were prominent in the American west and went extinct over 10,000 years ago. The fossilised tooth has been donated to Stanford University, where researchers will use carbon dating to determine its exact age.