13,600-year-old prehistoric mammal found preserved in Iowa creek, researchers say
Archaeologists in Iowa announced that they have completed the excavation of the first “well-preserved” mastodon found in the state.
The excavation of the bones — primarily the skull — from the eroding banks of a Wayne County creek took 12 days, according to an Aug. 14 Facebook post from the Office of the State Archaeologist.
“This is the first-ever well-preserved mastodon…that has been excavated in Iowa,” officials said.
Radiocarbon dating suggest the mastodon is about 13,600 years old, researchers said.
The bones will be examined to “determine if there is any evidence of human activity, such as cut marks,” researchers said.
Officials said they were first made aware of the discovery in 2022, and they have worked with the local community to carefully recover the mastodon bones.
The bones will be part of a new exhibit at the Prairie Trails Museum in Corydon, officials said.
Wayne County is about an 80-mile drive south from Des Moines.
Mastodons
According to the San Diego Natural History Museum, the American mastodon, or Mammut americanum, lived during the Pleistocene Epoch and went extinct approximately 13,000 years ago.
The American mastodon, up to 10 feet tall and weighing as much as six tons, lived across North America, ranging from Alaska to central Mexico.
Researchers believe human hunters and climate change may have contributed to the species’ extinction.
Despite their similar appearances, mastodons are distant cousins of mammoths and elephants.
This story was originally published August 16, 2024 at 1:25 PM with the headline "13,600-year-old prehistoric mammal found preserved in Iowa creek, researchers say."
