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Pacific mastodon tooth fossil discovered in San Mateo County
A well-preserved, 10,000-year-old fossilized tooth of a Pacific mastodon has been discovered in a creek within a San Mateo County preserve. The find was made by geomorphologist Brigid Lynch during a habitat restoration project for the California red-legged frog in an area managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
The specimen, an intact molar from an adult animal, is approximately 9 inches long and is described by paleontologists as being in immaculate condition, featuring both the crown and the root. The Pacific mastodon was a massive herbivore that inhabited parts of North America, including California, until its extinction during the Pleistocene epoch.
The fossil has been donated to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability. Researchers plan to use carbon dating to determine its exact age and will create a 3D digital copy of the specimen for the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
Entities
Brigid Lynch · Doerr School of Sustainability · Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District · Pacific Paleontology · San Mateo County · Stanford University
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The tooth is estimated to be approximately 10,000 years old. www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fossil has been donated to Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability for research and carbon dating. www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The fossil is an upper left third molar from an adult Pacific mastodon. offthepress.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fossil was found in a San Mateo County open-space preserve during fieldwork for a habitat restoration project. www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Pacific mastodons were identified as a distinct species from American mastodons in 2019. www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Paleontologist Wayne Thompson described the molar as the most complete and spectacular from the area. offthepress.com · www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Stanford will produce a 3D scan of the tooth for educational purposes. www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 4 SOURCES] Geomorphologist Brigid Lynch discovered the fossil while surveying a habitat restoration project. offthepress.com · www.rwcpulse.com · www.almanacnews.com · www.mv-voice.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fossilized tooth is approximately 9 inches (23 centimeters) long. ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] Brigid Lynch discovered a fossilized Pacific mastodon tooth in a creek. ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] The fossil was found in a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District preserve in San Mateo County. ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 3 SOURCES] The tooth includes both the crown and the root. ca.news.yahoo.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk