Current:Home > StocksFossil-hunting diver says he has found a large section of mastodon tusk off Florida’s coast-LoTradeCoin
Fossil-hunting diver says he has found a large section of mastodon tusk off Florida’s coast
View Date:2024-12-23 19:55:47
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — At first, fossil-hunting diver Alex Lundberg thought the lengthy object on the sea floor off Florida’s Gulf Coast was a piece of wood. It turned out to be something far rarer, Lundberg said: a large section of tusk from a long-extinct mastodon.
Lundberg and his diver companion had found fossils in the same place before, including mammoth teeth, bones of an ancient jaguar and parts of a dire wolf. They also have found small pieces of mastodon tusk, but nothing this big and intact.
“We kind of knew there could be one in the area,” Lundberg said in an interview, noting that as he kept fanning away sand from the tusk he found in April “it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I’m like, this is a big tusk.”
The tusk measures about 4 feet (1.2 meters) and weighs 70 pounds (31 kilograms), Lundberg said, and was found at a depth of about 25 feet (7.6 meters) near Venice, Florida. It’s currently sitting in a glass case in his living room, but the story may not end there.
Mastodons are related to mammoths and current-day elephants. Scientists say they lived mainly in what is now North America, appearing as far back as 23 million years ago. They became extinct about 10,000 years ago, along with dozens of other large mammals that disappeared when Earth’s climate was rapidly changing — and Stone Age humans were on the hunt.
Remains of mastodons are frequently found across the continent, with Indiana legislators voting a couple years ago to designate the mastodon as its official state fossil. Mastodons are on exhibit at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, one of the most significant locations in the world for fossils of the bygone era.
The age of the tusk Lundberg found has not yet been determined.
Under Florida law, fossils of vertebrates found on state lands, which include near-shore waters, belong to the state under authority of the Florida Museum of Natural History. Lundberg has a permit to collect such fossils and must report the tusk find to the museum when his permit is renewed in December. He’s had that permit since 2019, according to the museum.
“The museum will review the discoveries and localities to determine their significance and the permit holder can keep the fossils if the museum does not request them within 60 days of reporting,” said Rachel Narducci, collections manager at the museum’s Division of Vertebrate Paleontology. “This may be a significant find depending on exactly where it was collected.”
Lundberg, who has a marine biology degree from the University of South Florida and now works at a prominent Tampa cancer center, is optimistic he’ll be able to keep the tusk.
“You don’t know where it came from. It’s been rolling around in the ocean for millions of years. It’s more of a cool piece,” he said.
veryGood! (23)
Related
- Republican Dan Newhouse wins reelection to US House in Washington
- The US is springing forward to daylight saving. For Navajo and Hopi tribes, it’s a time of confusion
- The total solar eclipse is one month away on April 8: Here's everything to know about it
- Man gets 142 years for 2017 stabbing deaths of Fort Wayne couple
- New York eyes reviving congestion pricing toll before Trump takes office
- Witnesses in Nigeria say hundreds of children kidnapped in second mass-abduction in less than a week
- Feds detail ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel's spending on 'life of luxury'
- Lead-tainted cinnamon has been recalled. Here’s what you should know
- NFL overreactions: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys going nowhere after Week 10
- Weather beatdown leaves towering Maine landmark surrounded by crime scene tape
Ranking
- Footage shows Oklahoma officer throwing 70-year-old to the ground after traffic ticket
- Labor market tops expectations again: 275,000 jobs added in February
- The Most Shocking Moments in Oscars History, From Will Smith's Slap to La La Land's Fake Win
- Missed the State of the Union 2024? Watch replay videos of Biden's address and the Republican response
- Tennessee fugitive accused of killing a man and lying about a bear chase is caught in South Carolina
- Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin Engaged: Inside Their Blissful Universe
- Drake announced for Houston Bun B concert: See who else is performing at sold-out event
- More cremated remains withheld from families found at funeral home owner’s house, prosecutors say
Recommendation
-
Georgia State University is planning a $107M remake of downtown Atlanta
-
Naomi Ruth Barber King, civil rights activist and sister-in-law to MLK Jr., dead at 92
-
Baltimore Ravens DT Justin Madubuike agrees to four-year, $98M contract extension
-
Angela Bassett Shares Her Supreme Disappointment Over Oscars Loss One Year Later
-
Controversial comedian Shane Gillis announces his 'biggest tour yet'
-
Selena Gomez Reveals What She Loves Most About Boyfriend Benny Blanco
-
CIA director returns to Middle East to push for hostage, cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel
-
'Jersey Shore' star Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino and wife announce birth of 3rd child