The New York State Museum is hailing it as a "major discovery" that will help scientists better understand once-abundant ...

The first mastodon fossil discovery in New York in over 11 years started with some routine gardening in an Orange County backyard. Working among some shrubbery, a homeowner found something curious in ...

A complete mastodon jaw was discovered in the backyard ... The Stockton, New York, homeowner initially spotted two teeth hidden in the fronds of a plant on their property and proceeded to uncover ...

"When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands ... State Museum and SUNY Orange unearthed a full, well-preserved mastodon jaw belonging to an adult individual," it said.

He brought those pieces to SUNY Orange, where he was put in touch with Cory Harris, a professor of anthropology and archeology, who immediately recognized them as mastodon teeth. "Mastodon teeth ...

The homeowner initially discovered two teeth hidden by a plant and later spotted two additional teeth a few inches underground. Eventually, scientists excavated the "well-preserved" mastodon jaw. The ...

Professor Andrew Martin (center) celebrates with his students Natasha Kemirembe (L) and Ernesto Botero after successfully unearthing a mastodon tooth at Principia College on Dec. 5, 2024.

The proboscidean's jaw was found about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of New York City, and will be put on public display next year.

Image of the mastodon teeth found in New York (main) and stock illustration of a woolly mammoth. Mastodons, which appeared similar to mammoths, roamed North American tens of thousands of years ago.