Pilot Randy Prickett and scientist Steven Haddock, researchers with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), discovered a Columbian mammoth tusk 185 miles offshore and 10,000 feet deep in the ocean in 2019, the institution said in a news release.At the time they were only able to collect a small piece of the tusk, so they returned in July 2021 to get the complete sample.
"You start to 'expect the unexpected' when exploring the deep sea, but I'm still stunned that we came upon the ancient tusk of a mammoth," said Haddock.
"Our work examining this exciting discovery is just beginning and we look forward to sharing more information in the future."
University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher, who specializes in the study of mammoths and mastodons, said it is unlike anything he has ever seen.