OSKALOOSA —
Researchers at the mammoth dig site in rural Mahaska County discovered a mammoth tusk Sunday morning that was at least 4 feet long.
“It’s a huge tusk,” said Dr. Jim North of William Penn University.
“We found it today,” said Dave Brenzel of the Indian Creek Nature Center. “It’s a male.”
Sarah Horgen of the University of Iowa Natural History Museum is coordinating the research effort at the dig site. So far, fossils of two mammoths have been found there. Sunday morning, a research team from Iowa State University as well as an Oskaloosa Elementary School teacher were among the group of 20 volunteers working at the site.
The group was working in the eastern portion of the dig site that was excavated Friday when they discovered the tusk. Musco Lighting officials arranged for a work crew from Exodus Landscaping to bring an excavator and a bulldozer to the location to enlarge the dig site.
Brenzel said the walls of the dig site were starting to cave in because of the water level. So, the enlarged site will allow for more volunteers to search for fossils of mammoths. The excavation crew also brought in a larger water pump to drain the dig site.
“It was moving a lot of muck,” Brenzel said.
North was overseeing a group of volunteers sifting through dirt to find more fossils.
The tusk researchers found Sunday morning was fragmented. Since the water table has dropped in the area, the tusk had been out of the water and has dried out.
“It’s been exposed for a while,” North said. “It’s going to start fragmenting.”
North and the volunteers found small fragments of ivory and dentin from the interior of a tusk.
“It’s tedious and exciting,” North said of sifting through buckets full of earth to find the tusk fragments.
Scientists also received the results of a radiocarbon date test on a log recently discovered at the site. Brenzel said the log dates back to 14,000 B.C.
“It’s contemporaneous with these mammoths,” he said.
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
Related Photos
-
Researchers uncover a mammoth tusk that is at least 4 feet long Sunday morning at a dig site in rural Mahaska County. Herald photo by Duane Nollen
Discussion
Mammoth dig finds tusk
- CNHI/Southeast Iowa
-
-
Kebabs: Health kick on a stick
Grilling is a simple way to feed your family well this summer. Start with a lean meat and a healthful marinade and then allow the grill to strip away additional fat for a heart-healthy and waist-friendly final result. Plus, grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in foods, which adds flavor without additional calories and fat.
-
Boy Scouts: Yes to gay youths, no to adults
The Boy Scouts of America on Thursday ended its ban on openly gay youths but maintained a prohibition on gay adult leaders, a decision framed as a compromise but one that could lead to litigation and thousands of defections from one of America's largest youth organizations.
-
Rain for Memorial Day weekend, but not a washout
Forecasters say this weekend will see good chances of rain, but they don't expect a complete washout since the highest chance of storms is in the overnight and early morning hours.
-
Expert: Schools need shelters
Ninety-four percent of Oklahoma schools do not have tornado shelters, according to Gov. Mary Fallin, even though at least one weather expert says they should be standard. With two Moore schools destroyed in Monday’s EF-5 tornado — and ...
-
Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked
Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
Pursuit that began in Marion County ends in Wayne County
CORYDON — A pursuit that began in Marion County Tuesday evening ended in Wayne County Tuesday night. The two-hour, high speed chase that went through several counties, with an alleged short stint in Missouri as well, involved several agencies with a
-
Mom delivered baby as tornado struck
Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
-
Offering a few helping hands
Two area women formed a business around the idea that people who have lost loved ones may need assistance in getting estates squared away.
- More CNHI/Southeast Iowa Headlines
-
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
New Wheelchair Lift Promises More Access
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
