A New York resident in Scotchtown, Orange County, has discovered the remains of an ice age mastodon in their backyard. […]

The proboscidean's jaw was found about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of New York City, and will be put on public display next year.

“When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts,” the Orange County resident said in the NYSM’s December 17th announcement, adding that he was “thrilled” by the discovery.

Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his New York home.

When a homeowner in New York was recently doing yardwork and stumbled upon something in the dirt, they initially thought it was just an old baseball — but it turned out to be part of a mastodon jaw. After further digging,