New England fishermen reel in 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tooth

[left-of-center2012]

While fishing for scallops off the coast of Plum Island in Newburyport in December 2021, Captain Tim Rider was shocked that he didn’t reel in a clam or mollusk. Instead, the New England fisherman managed to catch a 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth tooth.

A part of the New England Fishmongers, a fisherman group that catches and sells groundfish caught off the New Hampshire and Maine seacoast, the organization said Rider brought the 11-inch, 7-pound artifact to the University of New Hampshire for testing.

Without carbon data testing, university geology and paleontologist confirmed that the fossil was a woolly mammoth Molar. Experts estimated the age of the tooth to be around 12,000 years old based on the geological history of the Newburyport area.

Rider has put the woolly mammoth tooth up for auction, the proceeds will be sent to World Central Kitchen, a worldwide non-profit organization run by professional chefs is providing fresh meals to people fleeing Ukraine and people staying in the midst of the conflict.

“Obviously, I can’t solve the world’s problems as a fisherman,” Rider told NECN reporters. “But I can contribute to help the people that are suffering.”

https://www.masslive.com/living/2022/03/new-england-fisherman-catches-12000-year-old-woolly-mammoth-tooth-off-the-coast-of-newburyport-tooth-being-auctioned-to-support-people-in-ukraine.html

[True Dough]

1. Any cavities?

Dental care couldn't have been that advanced back in the day!

[Wednesdays]

3. Probably not

Mammoths were not known to have consumed large amounts of sugar.

[Lochloosa]

2. Good for him.