{"id":2382781,"date":"2024-12-22T12:41:01","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T17:41:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeowner-finds-weird-rocks-in-yard-begins-digging-and-uncovers-part-of-giant-prehistoric-mouth\/"},"modified":"2024-12-22T12:45:31","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T17:45:31","slug":"homeowner-finds-weird-rocks-in-yard-begins-digging-and-uncovers-part-of-giant-prehistoric-mouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/homeowner-finds-weird-rocks-in-yard-begins-digging-and-uncovers-part-of-giant-prehistoric-mouth\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeowner Finds Weird Rocks in Yard, Begins Digging and Uncovers Part of Giant Prehistoric Mouth"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhomeowner-finds-weird-rocks-in-yard-begins-digging-and-uncovers-part-of-giant-prehistoric-mouth%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2382781&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A\u2063 homeowner in Orange County, New York, uncovered significant paleontological finds in their \u200bbackyard, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rescue-helicopter-crashes-into-florida-apartment-complex-killing-fire-captain-and-resident\/\" title=\"Florida apartment complex hit by helicopter crash, claiming lives of fire captain and resident.\">initially mistaking<\/a> them\u2063 for strange \u200crocks. Upon further investigation, they \u2063discovered two sets of teeth, prompting them to contact\u200c experts. This led to the excavation \u2062of a \u200bcomplete mastodon jaw, alongside\u2062 rib and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/covid-19-increases-risk-of-diabetes-4-tips-for-prevention-and-treatment\/\" title=\"COVID-19 Increases Risk of Diabetes, 4 Tips for Prevention and Treatment\">toe bone<\/a>\u200d fragments, marking a rare revelation\u2014the first of its kind in New York in over 11 years. Mastodons are ancient relatives of modern \u2062elephants, and this find adds to the state&#8217;s rich paleontological history, particularly in Orange County, which has \u2062yielded \u200babout one-third of the 150 mastodon fossils\u200c found across New \u200cYork. Researchers\u2063 from the New York State Museum highlighted the opportunity\u200b to study Ice Age ecosystems and\u2062 plan to analyze the fossils further\u2014carrying out carbon dating and other examinations before making them available for public viewing \u2062in 2025.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>They must have initially looked like strange rocks to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspect-in-georgia-mass-shooting-killed-in-shootout-with-authorities\/\" title=\"Georgia mass shooting suspect killed in shootout with authorities.\">unsuspecting resident<\/a> of Orange County, New York.<\/p>\n<p>But the state&rsquo;s paleontological discovery of the decade?&nbsp;Nobody could have expected to find that in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/plant-nightmare-3-year-old-left-horrific-injuries-scary-discovery-backyard-heartbreaking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">own backyard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The homeowner discovered the two weird objects protruding from the soil and obscured by foliage, according to a Dec. 17 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nysm.nysed.gov\/about\/press\/mastodon-discovery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a> from the New York State Museum.<\/p>\n<p>The resident &mdash; who did not want to be identified, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mastodon-jaw-fossil-new-york-972681079b36cc13453ebe8456660f4b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press<\/a> &mdash; then discovered another pair of the objects buried further below the ground before realizing what they were.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts,&rdquo; the resident said, according to the museum. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>But the teeth were just the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers from the New York State Museum and State University of New York &ndash; Orange made more discoveries after excavating.<\/p>\n<p>Those discoveries included a full adult mastodon jaw, a rib fragment and a piece of toe bone.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">rib fragments offer valuable context<\/a> and the potential for additional research,&rdquo; said Dr. Cory Harris, Chair of SUNY Orange&rsquo;s Behavioral Sciences Department.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A Mastodon Discovery!&#129443;<br \/> A homeowner near Scotchtown, NY, uncovered a complete mastodon jaw in their backyard&mdash;the first find of its kind in over 11 years! Excavated by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nysmuseum?\">@nysmuseum<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SUNY_Orange?\">@SUNY_Orange<\/a>, the fossils will shed light on NY&rsquo;s Ice Age past.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MxYOPUpMYp\">https:\/\/t.co\/MxYOPUpMYp<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T92iYrb0C8\">pic.twitter.com\/T92iYrb0C8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York State Museum (@nysmuseum) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nysmuseum\/status\/1869116591729942862?\">December 17, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Harris told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/12\/19\/nyregion\/mastodon-teeth-new-york.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Times<\/a> he was apprehensive when the couple who found the fossils approached him with a cardboard box containing their discovery.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;More often than not, it&rsquo;s a weird rock,&rdquo; he said of the amateur archaeologists who have come to him in the past.<\/p>\n<p>His attitude changed when he took a look inside the box.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I was crazy excited,&rdquo; he told the Times. &ldquo;It was the same old-school excitement I felt when I got into this field in the first place.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Mastodons are the ancient <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-elephant-fossil-ice-age-discovered-mississippi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ice Age<\/a> relatives of modern elephants, according to the New York State Museum.<\/p>\n<p>This latest discovery was made near Scotchtown, about 70 miles northwest of New York City, the AP reported.<\/p>\n<p>The find is the first of its kind in 11 years for the Empire State.<\/p>\n<p>To date, more than 150 mastodon fossils have been found statewide, one-third of them being found in Orange County.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of New York and the ongoing efforts to understand its past,&rdquo; said Dr. Robert Feranec, director of Research &amp; Collections and curator of Ice Age Animals at the New York State Museum.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems from this region. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-construction-workers-find-dinosaur-fossils-in-denver-suburb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fossils<\/a> are resources that provide remarkable snapshots of the past, allowing us to not only reconstruct ancient ecosystems but also provide us with better context and understanding of the current world around us.<\/p>\n<p>The fossils will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alien-litigates-the-pandemic-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Alien litigates the pandemic - Washington Examiner\">creature&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s age, diet and other factors relating to its original habitat.<\/p>\n<p>After it&rsquo;s preserved and analyzed, it will be available for public viewing in 2025.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ]; 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However, this turned out to be one of the most significant paleontological discoveries in the state. The homeowner stumbled upon two peculiar items sticking out from the ground and hidden by plants, as reported in a news release from the New York State Museum on December 17. The individual, who chose to remain anonymous according to the Associated Press, later found another pair of these objects buried deeper underground before realizing their significance. &#8220;When I found the teeth and held them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in experts,&#8221; said the homeowner. &#8220;I\u2019m excited that our property has produced such an important find for science.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>But that was just the beginning. Researchers from both the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange made further discoveries during their excavation, including a complete adult mastodon jaw, rib fragments, and a toe bone piece. Dr. Cory Harris from SUNY Orange noted that while the jaw is particularly noteworthy, these additional fragments provide valuable context for future research: &#8220;We hope to explore more of this area for any other preserved bones.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>This remarkable find occurred near Scotchtown\u2014about 70 miles northwest of New York City\u2014and marks New York&#8217;s first mastodon discovery in over 11 years; more than 150 mastodon fossils have been uncovered statewide so far with about one-third located in Orange County.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Robert Feranec emphasized that this discovery highlights New York&#8217;s rich paleontological history and contributes significantly to understanding its past: &#8220;The mastodon jaw offers a unique chance to study this species&#8217; ecology which will enhance our knowledge of Ice Age ecosystems here.&#8221; The fossils will undergo carbon dating and analysis for insights into their age and habitat before being displayed publicly in 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2382782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Mastodon-teeth.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6873,47256,10991,47255,47254],"class_list":["post-2382781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-excavation","tag-giant-mouth","tag-homeowner","tag-prehistoric-discovery","tag-weird-rocks"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Mastodon-teeth.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2382781"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2382785,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2382781\/revisions\/2382785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2382782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2382781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2382781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2382781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}