A California geomorphologist surveying a creek for a habitat restoration project noticed an unusual object lying half in and half out of the water. Unsure what she had found, she turned to Google’s reverse image search for clues. The search suggested it might be a molar from an Ice Age mastodon, and a paleontologist later confirmed it. The tooth belonged to an ancient Pacific mastodon, a mammal that roamed North America thousands of years ago. It was found in a Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) preserve in San Mateo County, during work to improve habitat for threatened California red-legged frogs. Researchers are now working to establish its age and significance.
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