A team of archaeologists has recently unearthed the first well-preserved mammoth bones in Iowa, including the skull of this prehistoric animal.
The researchers excavated a well-preserved mammoth skull dating back approximately 13,600 years at a creek in Iowa, USA. This is the first skull of its kind found in this state.
An archaeologist from the University of Iowa carefully excavating the mammoth skull. (Photo source: Kirk Murray, University of Iowa).
This discovery came two years after residents of Wayne County, located in the southern part of the state, reported finding a long bone protruding from the creek. At that time, archaeologists examined the bone and identified it as a mammoth femur. This heightened their interest and prompted them to continue excavating the site in hopes of uncovering more about this species.
Scientists have now revealed that the site contains a massive skull with intact tusks and other bones that may belong to the same prehistoric animal. Researchers are still working to determine whether the mammoth died at the hands of humans or if humans may have interfered with the remains in any way.
American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) is a large, extinct mammal related to elephants and mammoths. They were widely distributed across North America, from present-day Alaska to central Mexico, from 3.5 million to 13,000 years ago. They went extinct just before the end of the last Ice Age, around 11,700 years ago, due to climate warming and human predation, according to the San Diego Natural History Museum. The mastodon was smaller than the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), weighing about 6 tons.
Researchers used radiocarbon dating methods to accurately determine the age of the skull. The results show that this creature lived around the same time as some of the first Americans inhabiting the area, raising the possibility that these animals may have interacted with humans.
Further research is underway to ascertain whether humans could have deposited the mastodon bones into this creek. The archaeologists plan to donate the skeleton to the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, Iowa, for display in a new exhibition.
