Mammoth Discovery: North Dakota Miners Unearth Remarkable Fossil Trove

An image of the mammoth tusk from the Freedom Mine, taken in May.Photo byFREEDOM MINE, COURTESY NORTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

A mammoth discovery unfolded in North Dakota as coal miners unearthed a 7-foot tusk, leading to the retrieval of over 20 bones from the mammoth's skeleton. The North Dakota Geological Survey, along with other organizations, meticulously excavated the site, revealing ribs, a shoulder blade, and hip parts, among other bones. This nearly complete mammoth skeleton marks a crucial find for understanding Ice Age life in the region.

Clint Boyd (white helmet) and Abigail Glass (blue helmet), two paleontologists, remove dirt from the old stream channel where the mammoth.Photo byNORTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

The fossils will undergo detailed cleaning and stabilization at the North Dakota Heritage Centre & State Museum, with plans underway for a public exhibit to share insights into the mammoth's era and life in ancient North Dakota.

The specific mammoth species will be identified post-cleaning, shedding light on the diverse mammoth population that roamed the area during the Ice Age, ultimately going extinct around 10,000 years ago. Woolly mammoths, closely linked to modern African elephants, and Columbian mammoths, more akin to Asian elephants, represented different mammoth species, each characterized by their remarkable tusks.