The mastodon jaw and some other bone fragments were found in late September in a backyard near Scotchtown, New York.

“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.

In Scotchtown, about 70 miles northwest of New York City, one couple came upon an unusual and thrilling paleontological find in their backyard.

A complete mastodon jaw fossil was found in the backyard of a New York home, the first discovery of its kind in over 11 years.

A complete mastodon jaw was unearthed in the backyard of a house in New York, according to the New York State Museum.

A complete mastodon jaw found by a New York homeowner will undergo "extensive scientific analysis" before being put on display to the public.

The New York State Museum is hailing it as a "major discovery" that will help scientists better understand once-abundant mammals.

A seemingly ordinary gardening project in upstate New York turned extraordinary when a local man unearthed a prehistor

Find out how a New York couple helped unearth fossils from a species that frequently roamed Orange County 13,000 years ago.