Well-preserved tooth from Pacific mastodon found in a creek in San Francisco Bay Area
A nearly complete tooth believed to belong to a Pacific mastodon was discovered by a geomorphologist in a creek in the San Francisco Bay Area. Brigid Lynch spotted the fossilized tooth while working on a habitat restoration project for the California red-legged frog in a San Mateo County preserve. The public land management agency, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, announced the find this week, noting that the specimen, which includes both the crown and root of the tooth, is in excellent condition.
The 9-inch-long tooth is estimated to be around 23 centimeters long. Chrissy Garcia, curator and manager of the specimen collections at Stanford University’s Doerr School of Sustainability, expressed excitement about the quality of the find, calling it both a local discovery and a specimen of exceptional condition. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas expects to receive a 3D copy of the tooth for educational purposes.
The discovery underscores the importance of preserving open spaces and habitats, as the tooth was found while Lynch was working to protect the habitat of the threatened California red-legged frog.
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