Mammoth Discovered in Oskaloosa Backyard

(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) -- An excavation is underway thanks to the discovery of the bones of a prehistoric mammoth in one Oskaloosa, Iowa, family’s backyard.

According to ABC’s affiliate ABC5-WOI in Des Moines, the first bones were discovered in July 2010 by a man named John and his two teenage sons when they were walking in the woods of their property looking for blackberries.

Despite discovering the bones nearly two years ago, the bones were brought to the University of Iowa for identification only last month, sparking the interest of Holmes Semken, professor emeritus of Geoscience.

Semken enlisted the help of volunteers from the University of Iowa as well as Iowa State University, to help to uncover the fossils lying six feet below the surface.

The University of Iowa Museum of Natural History is overseeing the project’s excavation and research.

“The size of this discovery is quite uncommon,” said Sarah Horgen, education coordinator at the museum. “It’s pretty exciting–partially because the mammoth is being discovered where it died. And we know that because we’re finding very large bones right alongside very small bones.”

Horgen says the mammoth is at least 12,000 years old, and was extinct by the end of the last ice age.

The landowner could not be reached for comment.

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