New York homeowner makes jaw-dropping mastodon discovery in backyard

Over 150 mastodon fossils have been found in New York with one third of them specifically from Orange County, according to the New York State Museum.

“While the jaw is the star of the show, the additional toe and rib fragments offer valuable context and the potential for additional research,” said Dr Cory Harris Chair of SUNY Orange’s Behavioral Sciences Department. “We are also hoping to further explore the immediate area to see if there are any additional bones that were preserved.”

Mastodons went extinct around 13,000 years ago.

The creatures are related to the modern-day elephant, but had flatter skulls and smaller ears.

Mastodons also resembled now-extinct mammoths with their long upper tusks, but were shorter and stockier.