(WWJ) An ordinary workday for road crews in West Michigan turned into a pre-historic blast from the past.
mLIVE reports crews were working to replace the culvert near the village of Kent City, about 32 miles north of Grand Rapids, on Thursday when the “excavator operator noticed something red in the ground.”
Kent County officials told the Grand Rapids news affiliate WOOD-TV that the crews initially thought the three-foot-long femur belonged to a dinosaur.
Multiple bones were unearthed from the area. University of Michigan researchers determined they belonged to a mastodon, most likely a male who passed away between the ages of 12 and 20, according to multiple sources.
According to Live Science, mastodons appeared about 30 million years ago and have been extinct for over 10,000 years. The elephant-like creatures weighed between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds (modern elephants weigh between 6,000 and 14,000 lbs.)—were about 8 to 10 feet tall and feasted only on plans. They lived primarily in wooded areas, including pre-historic Michigan. Their average life expectancy ranged from 50 to 80 years old.
Mastodons are similar in appearance to wooly mammoths (pictured above) but appeared on earth about 20 million years prior to mammoths and are slightly smaller, Live Science said.
The culvert replacement is on hold until the excavation is complete.
The bones are slated to be donated to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.