American researchers unearth mammoth’s tusk
June 7th, 2010 - 5:54 pm ICT by ANIWashington, June 7 (ANI): University of Michigan researchers have unearthed a mammoth’s tusk at Morrison Lake Country Club in Saranac.
The clue will help with the research of the Morrison Lake Country Club mammoth.
The tusk grows throughout life, and as it forms it forms a record of the animal’s history, from when it’s born to the day it died,” The Ionia Sentinel-Standard quoted Dr. Dan Fisher, professor of paleontology and curator of the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan.
He added: “We can see years, like tree rings in the tusk, and we can analyze the material - even the material inside those tree rings - to see what it ate, how healthy it was what the environment was like, so this is a huge source of information.”
The tusk was discovered Sunday, when U of M Research Specialist Dr. Scott Beld discovered a portion of the tusk.
During the time, he thought it was just a portion of a sizable bone, and didn’t discover its size until he tried to dig it up.
Beld said: “Sunday, when we finished excavating the sight, we were digging down to about a centimeter of dirt over the tusk.
“When I came out on Monday, I started to clear off some of the dirt on top and felt the tusk over there.”
During the dig, a large portion of the upper skull was found, another tooth that fit inside the skull.
There were also bone fragments from the skull, ribs, vertebra and other small finds. The remains lead Beld and Fisher to believe that there is only one mammoth at this location, and that early humans used the lake as a refrigerator to keep the meat from spoiling. (ANI)
- Europe's biggest dinosaur skull found in Spain - Apr 04, 2012
- Ice age graveyard reveals ancient mysteries - Jan 24, 2011
- Neanderthals lived in houses, not caves - Dec 20, 2011
- Remains of woolly mammoth found in Russia - May 27, 2011
- Discovery of bones unravel Ice Age ecosystem - Nov 07, 2010
- Prehistoric whale skeletons found in Egypt - Jul 10, 2010
- Newly discovered species of dinosaur bridges gap in dinosaur family tree - Apr 13, 2011
- Humans used domesticated dogs as food sources 9,400 years ago - Jan 13, 2011
- Baby dino footprints discovered near Denver - Nov 02, 2010
- Scientists identify long lost cousin of T. rex in China - Apr 01, 2011
- Scientists Discover 15 Million Year Old Marsupial Fossils In Outback - Jul 19, 2010
- Scientists crack ancient bone disease - Jan 04, 2012
- Some early carnivores were built to walk on ground, not sit on trees - Dec 23, 2009
- WWE Smackdown: Mark Henry vs John Morrison - Oct 22, 2011
- Students validate 1924 dinosaur findings of paleontologist - Dec 15, 2009
Tags: american researchers, beld, bone fragments, centimeter, curator, dr scott, early humans, ionia sentinel standard, large portion, michigan researchers, morrison lake, museum of paleontology, refrigerator, research specialist, ribs, skull, source of information, tree rings, tusk, university of michigan