New York Man Finds Mastodon Jaw While Gardening in His Backyard

New York State Museum and State University of New York Orange staff unearthed a complete well-preserved mastodon jaw that were discovered by a man while gardening at his upstate New York home. New York State Museum via AP

SCOTCHTOWN, N.Y.—Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his upstate New York home this year.

The mastodon jaw and some other bone fragments were found in late September in a backyard near Scotchtown, a hamlet about 70 miles northwest of New York City, officials from the New York State Museum said.