California Woman Discovered Rare Ancient Molar Tooth on Beach

The latest reports revealed that a woman who was walking on a beach in California discovered an ancient and rare foot-long mastodon tooth during the Memorial Day weekend.

It was supposed to be a stroll for a woman on a California beach when she found an unusual molar tooth.

She then took a picture and uploaded it on Facebook.

According to recent Newsweek and The Guardian reports, Jennifer Schuh discovered a foot-long molar tooth on a Beach's sand in Aptos Creek on Rio Del Mar.

The said beach is located in Santa Cruz, California.

The reports said that Schuh told AP that a lady told her something was at her feet. Little did she know that it was a rare find.

Rare and ancient mastodon molar tooth

(Photo : by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman just walking on a beach in California found a rare and ancient find: a foot-long mastodon molar tooth. With the help of social media, they finally found the rare tooth and donated it to a museum.

Schuh explained that the said molar tooth looked weird as it was burned-looking. Without knowledge about the tooth, she asked for help on social media.

When she posted on Facebook, the report explained that an expert replied to her question.

According to the report, a paleontology expert, Wayne Thompson, at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History saw the rare find's importance.

Thompson explained that the discovery was a molar tooth from a Pacific mastodon, adding that Schuh should call him for the rare find.

However, the tooth was no longer there when it was found. With hope, they tried to look for it on the weekend, but they could not find it.

As a result, they decided to seek social media to amplify the search online, hoping to find the missing rare molar tooth.

According to the report, the Pacific molar tooth mastodon came from an extinct elephant species.

Immediately, Jim Smith discovered the picture of the rare tooth. Smith then reported it to the Aptos Museum.

According to the report, Smith found the tooth when he was having his job on the said beach.

Finally, the tooth was donated to the said museum, adding that it will be available for viewing from Friday through Sunday.

More facts about the Pacific molar tooth mastodon

According to San Diego Natural History Museum, the American Mastodon reached a point of extinction about 13 years ago.

Before, the report noted that American Mastodon was present in parts of Central Mexico, Alaska and North America.

Also Read: 240 Million Years Old Snake Ancestor Skeleton Discovered That Could Help Unlock Evolution Mysteries

In terms of the said elephant, Mastodons are considered smaller than the species of mammoths, weighing 5443kg.

The San Diego Natural History Museum added that mastodons were said to be herbivores, with their powerful teeth used for looking for food.

Meanwhile, the AP reported that the specimen was considered to be less than 1 million years old.

According to Liz Broughton, museum experience manager, explained that discovering fossils for winter storms is considered common.

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