A whole one mastodon jaw it was discovered in the backyard of a home, according to the New York State Museum.

The original find was discovered by a homeowner who, while doing some gardening work, noticed something unusual on the ground.

“I saw 2 strange objects hidden behind plant leaves,” he told CNN, adding that he immediately realized it was a rare find and notified the authorities.

“When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew it was something special and decided to call in the experts“, said the resident indicatively as mentioned in the museum’s press release.

Mastodon jaw discovered in the backyard of a home, according to the State Museum of New York/ Photo: State Museum of New York

The jaw, along with a piece of leg bone and ribs, were unearthed by scientists from the State Museum of New York and the State University of New York Orange.

“I am thrilled that our property has yielded such an important finding for the scientific community“, added the resident.

According to the museum, it was the first time in 11 years that such a find had been recorded in New York state.

More than 150 mastodon fossils have been found across the state, about 1/3 of them in Orange County.

“This mastodon jaw provides a unique opportunity to study the ecology of this magnificent species, which will enhance our understanding of the Ice Age ecosystems of this regionsaid Robert Feranec, the museum’s director of research and collections and curator of Ice Age animals.

What is Mastodon?

The mastodon is a distant relative of the elephant that lived in North America from about 3.75 million to 11,000 years ago, according to the Illinois State Museum.

An adult mastodon was between 2.5 and 3 meters tall, and weighed up to 6 tons.

Scientists believe a combination of competition for food, climate change and overhunting by early humans led to their extinction.

The jaw and accompanying fragments found in New York will now undergo “rigorous scientific analysis, including carbon dating and dietary reconstruction,” the museum’s statement said, adding that the historic find will be presented to the public in 2025.