During a Memorial Day weekend stroll along a California beach, Jennifer Schuh made an intriguing discovery protruding from the sand: a tooth from an ancient mastodon.

However, the fossil’s fate took an unexpected turn when it disappeared, prompting a widespread media campaign and the assistance of a considerate jogger to recover it, the Associated Press reported.

While at Rio Del Mar State Beach in Santa Cruz County, located off Monterey Bay on California’s central coast, Schuh noticed the foot-long (.30-meter) tooth sticking out of the sand on Friday near Aptos Creek’s mouth.

Schuh recalled, “I was on one side of the creek, and this lady was talking to me on the other side, and she said, ‘What’s that at your feet?’ It looked kind of weird, like burnt almost.”

Unsure about the nature of her discovery, Schuh took some photographs and turned to Facebook for assistance, seeking guidance from others.

Fortunately, Wayne Thompson, a paleontology collections advisor for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, came across the post and provided the answer.

Thanks to the collective efforts and the timely assistance of the paleontology expert, the ancient mastodon tooth was successfully located and preserved, ensuring its significance can be studied and appreciated.

Written by staff