12-year-old discovers apparent woolly mammoth tooth while on vacation in Ohio
It's a story for the (ice) ages. A 12-year-old boy recently discovered a woolly mammoth tooth at an inn in Ohio.
The Inn at Honey Run, in Millersburg, Ohio, confirmed the discovery last week. According to the Inn, Jackson Hepner was taking photos with his family when he spotted the giant tooth along the edge of a creek.
"I found the mammoth tooth about ten yards upstream from the bridge we had our family pictures on," Jackson wrote in an account of the tooth's discovery that the Inn posted online. "It was partially buried on the left side of the creek. It was completely out of the water on the creek bed."
Three scholars and professors identified the object as a woolly mammoth's upper third molar, the Inn said. The Inn said Dale Gnidovec of The Ohio State University's Orton Geological Museum, Nigel Brush of Ashland University's Geology Department, and P. Nick Kardulias College of Wooster' Program of Archeology all confirmed the discovery.
"Teeth of woolly mammoths are distinguished by parallel ridges, which the animals used to grind grass and seeds," the Inn said. "We couldn't be prouder to be the site of such an extraordinary find and unforgettable experience!"
Jackson said he cannot wait to see the tooth again. "I would like to have my tooth back in my hands as soon as possible," he wrote. "I want to show my friends."
