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3w ago

Pacific Mastodon Molar Found in San Mateo County Preserve

Stanford will carbon date the exceptionally complete tooth and produce a 3D scan plus a replica to support research and public education.

A mastodon’s tooth was recently found in a creek in San Mateo County, Calif.
The mastodon molar was donated to Stanford University in California.
Image
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Giant molar of a Pacific Mastodon discovered in the Bay Area, partially submerged in water, Image 2 shows Two hands hold a large, well-preserved brown and black molar from an adult Pacific Mastodon, Image 3 shows Illustration of a Pacific Mastodon and its skull with a labeled upper left molar

Overview

  • Midpen announced Sept. 9 that geomorphologist Brigid Lynch discovered an intact adult Pacific mastodon molar while surveying a creek bed for a habitat restoration project for the California red‑legged frog.
  • Paleontologists identified the specimen as a remarkably well‑preserved Pacific mastodon (Mammut pacificus) molar measuring about 8.5 × 7 × 3 inches that specialists called the most complete from the region.
  • Midpen donated the tooth to Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability, where researchers will use radiocarbon dating to determine its precise age and produce a high‑resolution 3D scan and printed replica.
  • The open‑space district is withholding the exact find location to discourage public fossil hunting, and it plans to use the replica and scans for outreach and educational displays.
  • Scientists say the tooth can help refine knowledge of Mammut pacificus in the western U.S., build local Ice Age ecosystem reconstructions, and inform conservation thinking about how past climate shifts shaped species ranges.