A major fossil discovery was just made in Madison County, Mississippi, according to a report from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). According to the statement, a local artifact and fossil collector named Eddie Templeton stumbled upon a piece of an ice-age elephant tusk earlier in August. The discovery was made as Templetone explored a steep embankment.
After discovering the tusk, Templeton reported his findings to the Mississippi State Geological Survey.
State Survey paleontological team members were dispatched to the site to see the discovery, finding it in good condition and exposed only partially above the waterline. Experts say that the strong curvature to the tusk suggested that it came from a Columbian mammoth, a rarer kind of mastodon. So rare, in fact, that if it proves to be the case, it would be the first discovery of its kind in the region.
Mississippi has been home to at least three kinds of Proboscideans in the past. During the last ice age, the region was home to the Mastodon – probably the most commonly known species – as well as the Columbian mammoth and the Gomphothere.
Reports described how the team was able to remove the clay and sand surrounding the tusk, exposing it in all its seven-foot-long glory. While it had obviously seen some wear over the years, the team discovered that the tusk were completely intact, making it a rare piece of history. Experts from MDEQ say that most fossil ivory discovered in Mississippi – and more generally across the country – is usually found in fragments.
Since the discovery, the artifact has been transported to the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science in Jackson where it will be studied further.
After the initial excavation, the tusk was encased in a protective plaster jacket by Templeton and the MDEQ team before being transported to the museum. George Phillips, the museum’s paleontologist, confirmed that this is the first Columbian mammoth tusk officially documented in the state. The tusk will undergo preservation treatment to stabilize it for potential future display, although no timeline has been set for when it might be available for public viewing.
Templeton, the man who found the tusk, has a long history of discovering fossils in the area and told news outlets that he originally believed that it belonged to a mastodon. When he learned that it belonged to a mammoth, Templeton said that he was even more excited, adding that he had never found any part of a mammoth before.Â