A mammoth tusk approximately 0.3 meters long has been discovered along the coast of California. Preliminary analysis indicates that the tusk is less than one million years old.
While walking on Rio Del Mar State Beach, Jennifer Schuh, a resident of California, stumbled upon the ancient mammoth tusk, as reported by AP on June 2.
Mammoth tusk found in California. (Photo: AP).
The tusk, measuring around 0.3 meters, has a peculiar shape that appears to be charred, Schuh noted.
Initially, the woman was uncertain about what she had found. Schuh later took a photo and posted it on Facebook to share her discovery.
The images Schuh posted caught the attention of Wayne Thompson, a consultant for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Thompson believes that Schuh has found a worn molar from an adult Pacific mastodon.
Mastodons are members of the genus Mammut.
Thompson subsequently contacted Schuh. However, when the two returned to the beach, the tusk had vanished. Thompson posted on social media seeking help in locating the mammoth tusk.
By May 30, a person named Jim Smith reached out to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. He reported that he had found the tusk while walking on the beach but wasn’t sure what it was until he saw the news photos.
Smith later donated the mastodon tusk to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, where it is now on display.
The ancient mastodon once roamed California between 5 million and 10,000 years ago. According to preliminary analysis, the tusk is estimated to be less than one million years old.
