Photo:Kirk Murray/University of Iowa
Mastodons once lumbered across North America.
Discovering a fossil from this time period is an exciting chance to learn more about a time of transition.
Intriguingly, a mastodon skull recently excavated from an Iowa riverbed sheds light on this ancient era.
Photo:Kirk Murray/University of Iowa
Archeologists from the University of Iowa pursued this lead all the way to the muddy banks of a creek.
In the bank, they discovered a tusk, seemingly attached to a skull.
Further excavating proved this supposition correct.
Photo:Kirk Murray/University of Iowa
The 2-foot tusk that projected from the massive skull offers intriguing possibilities for the researchers.
The tusk formation can actually reveal quite a lot about the creature.
And that gets recorded in the tusks.
Photo:Kirk Murray/University of Iowa
While the mastodon skull dates to 13,600 years ago, the tools are more recent by a couple millennia.
Theres also potential evidence on the bones themselvesthere could be identifiable cut marks.
A protruding tusk could unveil much more about the creature.
Photo:Kirk Murray/University of Iowa
And that gets recorded in the tusks.
