Tag Archives: backyard

Entire Mastodon Jaw Fossil Discovered in New York Backyard

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A momentous (or more accurately prehistoric) finding was unearthed just below the Earth’s surface on a New York homeowner’s lawn.

A full mastodon jaw was found in the backyard of a house in Scotchtown, a town in Orange County, as confirmed by state officials. The New York State Museum and the State University of New York at Orange researchers retrieved the jaw and additional bone fragments, as announced by the state Department of Education in a press release on Tuesday.

It has been over 11 years since a discovery of this kind has been made in New York.

The mastodon jaw, presumed to belong to an adult, was discovered by researchers after a homeowner noticed it surfacing on his lawn. Initially, the homeowner found two teeth hidden in plants on the property, and after some digging, two more teeth were discovered.

“Upon finding the tooth and examining it closely, we knew it was unique and decided to seek out an expert,” stated the homeowner.

Following this, museum and university staff conducted an excavation that led to the unveiling of the well-preserved jaw of a mastodon, an ancient relative of present-day elephants. Additionally, part of a toe bone and rib fragments were found.

Mastodon jaw unearthed in backyard in Scotchtown, New York new york state museum

“Though the jaw is the highlight, the additional toe and rib fragments provide valuable context and possibilities for further research,” said Dr. Corey Harris, chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at New York University at Orange. “We are also keen on exploring the surrounding area to look for more preserved bones.”

The fossil will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine the mammal’s time of existence in the area, its dietary habits, and habitat details. The discovery will be showcased on public television as of 2025 and is expected to be featured in magazines.

“This finding proves New York’s rich paleontological history and our persistent efforts to understand the past,” said Robert Ferra, Director of Research and Collections and Curator of Ice Age Animals at the New York State Museum. Dr. Neck mentioned, “This mastodon jaw offers a unique chance to study the ecology of this extraordinary species and enhance our comprehension of the ice age ecosystems in the region.”

To date, approximately 150 mastodon fossils have been found in New York, with about one-third of them located in Orange County.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Australian researchers find over 1,000 species of wildlife in suburban home and backyard

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University of Queensland researchers Matt Holden, Andrew Rogers, Russell Yong and colleagues took on the challenge of identifying species around their home in Brisbane, Australia. paper in a diary ecology.

rogers other. They discovered his 1,150 unique species of animals, plants and fungi around his inner Brisbane home. Image credit: Penny.

Dr Holden, Dr Rogers and Dr Yong conducted a census in shared homes and their backyards during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, collecting 1,150 endemic species of animals, plants and fungi over 12 months. discovered.

“We asked a number of ecologists and conservation scientists how many species they expected to find in this environment, and they predicted only 200 species.” Dr. Holden said.

“But after 60 days of research, we had already discovered 777 species.”

“It shows that suburban homes and apartments can contain much more biodiversity than previously imagined, especially when it comes to insects.”

The idea for species number came when Dr. Rogers went to vacuum the cobwebs in his room and wondered how many spiders there were on the premises.

“The three of us immediately came up with a plan to scour our homes and backyards looking for other creatures living with us,” Dr Holden said.

The survey revealed a rich biodiversity, including 436 species of moths and butterflies, 56 species of spiders, 8 species of reptiles, and 56 species of birds.

Bird species included yellow-brown black-breasted kingfishers, common kingfishers, green honeycreepers, rainbow parakeets, spotted doves and Brisbane’s favorite, the Australian white ibis.

“Blue-bellied skinks hibernated under the garage, and at night we had green-bellied bees and teddy bear bees sleeping in the hedge under the front window,” Dr Holden said.

Researchers were also surprised to discover three species not previously recorded in Australia’s major biodiversity databases. Living Australia Atlas — Mosquitoes, sandflies, invasive flatworms, Platypus ManokwariIt is responsible for the decline in populations of native snails around the world.

“The house was a complex ecosystem of interacting species – we encountered a moth Countless scat lacerations“The caterpillars spend their entire lives feeding in green mouse feces before emerging as adults,” Dr Holden said.

“Palyrgis conqueror This is another type of moth whose caterpillars live inside spider webs and eat spider feces to survive. ”

“All urban housing has the potential to host similar biodiversity.”

“It depends on how people take care of their homes and gardens. By keeping low-maintenance trees and shrubs, keeping well-maintained lawns and eliminating pesticides, you can increase the number of critters found. will increase significantly.”

“You don’t need to travel to connect with Australia’s biodiversity; you just need to look out into your own backyard.”

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Andrew M. Rogers other. 2023. Home of a Thousand Species: The Untapped Potential of Comprehensive Biodiversity Surveys of Urban Properties. ecology, published online on December 1, 2023. doi: 10.1002/ecy.4225

Source: www.sci.news