In North Dakota, a team made a significant discovery of more than 20 bones from a mammoth skeleton following the unearthing of a remarkably well-preserved, 7-foot-long tusk by coal miners, as reported by the North Dakota Geological Survey on Monday.
The initial find occurred when miners at the Freedom Mine stumbled upon the tusk during the Memorial Day weekend.
To safeguard the site, they secured it until experts from the North Dakota Geological Survey, the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and the Bureau of Land Management could assess the situation.
“Most of the mammoth fossils known from North Dakota are isolated bones and teeth,” Clint Boyd, North Dakota Geological Survey senior paleontologist, said. “This specimen is one of the most complete mammoth skeletons discovered in North Dakota, making it an exciting and scientifically important discovery.”
Subsequently, a team of paleontologists from the North Dakota Geological Survey dedicated 12 days to excavating an old streambed, where they uncovered ribs, a shoulder blade, a tooth, and portions of the hips, as detailed in a press release by the North Dakota Geological Survey, CBS News reported.
The excavated bones were carefully stabilized in protective plaster jackets and transported to the paleontology lab at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck.
There, the meticulous process of cleaning and stabilizing the bones will take place.
State authorities are actively assessing suitable display locations for the recovered mammoth remains, aiming to ensure that “as many people as possible can see this specimen and learn what it tells us about life in North Dakota during the Ice Age,” according to the press release.
Written by B.C. Begley
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