Can You Find a Mastodon Jaw in Your Backyard in Connecticut Too?

Did you see the news yesterday that someone found a complete Mastodon jaw fossil in their backyard in Orange County, New York? It happened in Scotchtown, which is right off of I-84. It got me thinking, if we start digging, can we find Mastodon jaws in our backyard here in Connecticut?

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The answer? It's possible. In fact, according to msn.com, paleontologists have dug up incredibly well-preserved fossils in Connecticut over the years. Our most famous fossils are the preserved dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, and the incredible collection of Peabody Museum of Natural History at New Haven's Yale University. According to wikipedia.com, the very first scientifically verified dinosaur bones discovered in North America were uncovered during the excavation of a well in East Windsor in 1818. In 1884 the pelvis and hind limb of a Prosauropod was discovered in a quarry in Manchester, and another was discovered in a quarry in Wolcott in 1892.

Connecticut is rich with fish and plant fossils, invertebrates, and three-toed dinosaur footprints. According to rockchasing.com, always check the regulations regarding access and collection first, but a few of the best places to find fossils in Connecticut are:

• Bluff Head, Totoket Mountain. and Northwoods in Guilford
• The banks of the Connecticut River
• Shuttle Meadow Reservoir in Kensington
• The banks of the Pomperaug River in Southbury
• Buckland Quarry - Manchester

As for your own backyard, I would suggest that you do not try going down more than 5 feet, and for God's sake, please, Call Before You Dig.