Un giant tooth was found on one of the beaches of Californiawhich provides evidence of the presence of a creature of the Ice Age in the area
The tooth was recently discovered on the state beach of Ro del Mar, near Santa Cruzduring the weekend of Day of the dead in USA.
Jennifer Schuh, a bather, initially mistook it for driftwood before realizing its uniqueness. Intrigued, she posted a photo on Facebook Asking for help to identify him.
“People from Aptos find all sorts of things on that beach, like horse teeth or fossilized sand dollars,” Schuh said, according to the LA Times.
“And I was like, ‘Okay, take the picture, I’m going to post this crazy thing because I have no idea what it is.'”
El paleontlogo Wayne Thompsonwho is part of the Santa Cruz Natural History Museumwas alerted to the publication and recognized the importance of the tooth.
“This is an extremely important finding,” Thompson wrote.
What animal did the giant tooth belong to?
He identified himself as belonging to a Pacific mastodona prehistoric mammal resembling an elephant that lived between 5 thousand and 10 thousand years ago.
Thompson emphasized the importance of the tooth in understanding the climate changesince fossilization occurred when sea levels were significantly lower.
The tooth has since been added to the museum’s collection, with only three known specimens found in the area.
