A Florida man recently found a large prehistoric trophy while diving off the coast of the Sunshine State.
Lundberg, who studied marine biology at the University of South Florida, told Fox News Digital that he found an ancient mastodon tusk while searching for fossils off Manasota Key, about 90 miles south of Tampa. In April he found his way again.
Intact mastodon tusks may be millions of years old. Although the 29-year-old said he has been diving for 12 years, Lundberg has been a fossil hunter since he was “old enough to walk.”
“When we were kids, my dad would take us to construction sites all the time to look for fossils,” Lundberg explained.
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“It’s common to find small pieces, but it’s rare to find a well-preserved piece of this size,” the scavenger added. “Florida dogs are usually very sensitive and usually squishy.”
According to the National Park Service (NPS), American mastodons became extinct about 10,500 years ago. Fossils of this giant animal have been found across North and Central America, from Alaska to Mexico.
Contrary to popular belief, mastodons are not the same species as mammoths, although they share a common ancestor with mammoths and elephants. Animals can grow up to 10 feet tall.
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“Though the mastodon has been around ever since [4 to 3 million years ago]According to the NPS website, mammoths arrived in North America much later in the Pleistocene Ice Age. The Pleistocene period spanned from 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago.
“In many places, mastodons coexisted with mammoths, but all marten species in North America became extinct about 10,500 years ago,” the NPS added.
Lundberg advises fossil hunters to remember to get a paleontological permit if they’re lucky enough to find a prehistoric animal. Each drilling permit in Florida costs just $5, he said.
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“My best advice is to get out there, explore and keep your head down,” he said. “These things are all over the state.”
As for the next location of the ancient mastodon task, Lundberg said he would keep it unless experts felt it was important enough to donate.
“I plan to keep it, but I have to report to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the end of the year,” he said. “If they think it’s scientifically important, I should donate it, but that’s very unlikely.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Florida Museum of Natural History for comment, but experts were unable to comment at the time of publication.
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