The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History is adding an artifact to its collection: a 5,000-year-old adult mastodon molar discovered at Rio Del Mar State Beach.
“It was like a social media news blitz, just putting everything out to try to find out who might have taken the tooth,” Thompson said.
“It’s really a testament to our community and the trust they have in us to care for objects like this,” Broughton said. The skull and a tooth belonging to a young mastodon are on permanent exhibit at the museum. The newly discovered molar will be studied and is expected to also be put on display. Based on the wear and tear of the tooth, museum staff estimates the mastodon was between 30 and 40 years old when it died in a nearby river valley.
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