The initial individual to notice the object was a worker operating a shovel during the night shift. They noticed a shine of white while lifting a large pile of dirt and transferring it into a truck for disposal.

After the truck driver unloaded the cargo, a dozer driver was prepared to level the soil. However, he stopped to examine a small white object that caught his attention.

The miners came to the realization that they had uncovered a unique discovery: a mammoth tusk measuring 7 feet in length, which had been buried for many millennia.

David Straley, an executive from North American Coal, expressed gratitude for their fortunate discovery at the mine.

The miners discovered the tusk in a former streambed, which was approximately 40 feet (12.1 meters) underground, at the Freedom Mine located near Beulah, North Dakota. This surface mine, spanning 45,000 acres (18,210 hectares), yields an annual production of up to 16 million tons (14.5 million metric tons) of lignite coal.

Upon discovering the tusk, the crews ceased excavation in the vicinity and summoned specialists. These experts approximated its age to be between 10,000 and 100,000 years old.

Jeff Person, a paleontologist working for the North Dakota Geologic Survey, was one of the individuals who provided a response. He noted his astonishment that the mammoth tusk had not sustained greater harm, given the use of heavy machinery at the excavation site.

“It’s incredible that it emerged without much damage,” Person exclaimed.

During a follow-up excavation at the site of the initial discovery, additional bones were uncovered. The individual referred to it as a small but steady stream of discoveries, yielding over 20 bones such as a shoulder blade, ribs, a tooth, and sections of hips. This mammoth is expected to be the most intact one found in North Dakota, as it is more typical to come across isolated bones, teeth, or fragments of tusks in the region.

Person mentioned that although the number of bones may seem small in comparison to the total number in the skeleton, it is still significant because it is evidence that all these bones are connected. This discovery is also noteworthy because it is the largest amount of bones from a single animal that has ever been found together.

The large mammal known as the mammoth used to inhabit regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Paul Ullmann, a vertebrate paleontologist from the University of North Dakota, has discovered specimens in various locations in the United States and Canada.

According to Ullmann, the discovery of the mine is uncommon in North Dakota and the surrounding area due to the destruction of remains from animals that lived during the last Ice Age caused by glaciations and ice sheet movements.

There have been discoveries of mammoth remains in various regions, including bonebeds with complete skeletons in Texas and South Dakota. In some cases, frozen carcasses have also been found in the permafrost of Canada and Siberia.

According to the Geologic Survey, mammoths became extinct approximately 10,000 years ago in present-day North Dakota. These creatures were bigger than modern-day elephants and had a thick coat of wool. Cave drawings from 13,000 years ago also feature mammoths.

According to Ullmann, mammoths are considered to be “media superstars” and are often compared to dinosaurs due to their popularity, as seen in the “Ice Age” movie series.

This 50-pound (22.6-kilogram) ivory tusk is delicate and has been covered in plastic to prevent it from dehydrating too rapidly. According to Person, if it dries out too quickly, the bone could potentially break and become damaged.

Other bones also have been wrapped in plastic and placed in drawers. The bones will remain in plastic for at least several months until the scientists can figure how to get the water out safely. The paleontologists will identify the mammoth species later, Person said.

The company in charge of mining intends to give the bones to the state for use in education.

“Our objective is to provide it to the children,” stated Straley.

The state of North Dakota has a terrain that is rich in bones and fossils, including those of dinosaurs. One of the most famous fossils found in the state is that of Dakota, a mummified duckbilled dinosaur with well-preserved skin, according to Ullmann.

According to Ullmann, the abundance of fossils found in the state is mainly a result of the previous existence of low-altitude, fertile environments that were highly conducive to ecological productivity.

According to him, North Dakota’s position next to the Rocky Mountains exposes it to the forces of erosion from sediment and rivers. This has resulted in the burial of animal fossils for a period of at least 80 million years.

Ullmann stated that we have ideal conditions for both productivity and biodiversity, as well as geologically optimal conditions for burial of remains.

Source: wral.com