Ron Storie found a 2.2-pound mastodon tooth while camping on Adams Lake’s shore in British Columbia on Sept. 14. Royal B.C. Museum paleontologist Derek Larson identified it as only the province’s third known specimen and said it likely dates to 75,000–125,000 years ago.
The tooth has two sets of molars and is about the size of a human fist. Larson said it could be much more recent than the estimate; if so, it could suggest ice-free areas in the region during the later stages of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.
Storie reported the find through B.C.’s online fossil portal, which lets the public submit discoveries for paleontologists to document and assess. He says he plans to donate the tooth to the Royal B.C. Museum.
