Geologists discovered a nearly 9-inch-long fossil tooth in a stream in San Mateo County near San Francisco. It was identified as a tooth of a "mastodon," an elephant-like mammal that became extinct thousands of years ago.
On 16 September 2026, scientists announced a significant fossil discovery in the San Francisco Bay area, USA. A geomorphologist found a large tooth embedded in a stream in San Mateo County, which was later identified as belonging to a "Pacific mastodon," an elephant-like mammal that lived in North America thousands of years ago before going extinct.
Brigid Lynch, a geomorphologist from Balance Hydrologics, revealed that she found the fossil while working on a habitat restoration project near a stream. The tooth measures nearly 9 inches (about 23 centimeters) long. She noted the fossil was easier to find than expected since part of it was submerged underwater and part was exposed. She also said the tooth is astonishingly well-preserved, including both the tooth and root, allowing for detailed further study.
Reports state the fossil was found in a stream located within the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District. It was handed over to the Doerr School of Sustainability at Stanford University for study and research. Scientists plan to determine the fossil's age and create a 3D model of the tooth for educational and public outreach purposes.
Source: AP