An Ice Age fossilized skull discovered 20 miles southeast of Safford has, after several efforts, been removed from its home for the past 2.5 million years.
The skull belongs to a rhynchotherium, an extinct mastodont relative of the elephant with four tusks. The rhychotherium died out during the Pleistocene Epoch at the beginning of the most recent Ice Age.
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"I had just come over the ridge when I saw a rib bone and some tusks sticking out the side of the hill," Thrasher said.
The area is rich with fossil beds, and Thrasher commonly discovers specimens on walks he takes through the area.
The Mesa Southwest Museum has a permit with the government that allows it to serve as the federal repository for fossils recovered there, and more than 1,000 fossils have been recovered and sent to the museum.
Finding the fossil is one thing - being able to recover it is a whole other story. Due to its size and the remoteness of its location, the skull has taken plenty of brains and brawn to remove, but is still less than 100-yards from its origin.
Thrasher, Mesa Southwest Museum Curator of Paleontology Dr. Robert McCord and volunteers had to make several attempts before achieving success.
After reinforcing the skull with burlap and plaster in a process called jacketing, the skull weighed approximately 1,200 pounds.
It was attached to a car hood, and the first removal attempt involved using a helicopter and crew from the Mesa Police and Fire departments.
Thrasher said the helicopter pilot had lifted the skull briefly off the ground when his instrument panel went red and he had to put it back down.
The following day, a firefighting crew from the BLM brought out a six-wheel drive ATV and attempted to drag the skull to a road nearly a mile away while still resting on the car hood.
After several hours, the team had only managed to move the skull about 1/10th of the mile long trek.
The ATV had pulled the skull through the most harrowing aspects of the terrain but was deemed too weak to finish the job.
Thrasher said the next option would be to either bring out a front end loader tractor or try pulling it with a larger ATV. If attempts are not successful soon, the skull will remain where it sits until next fall.
Most of the rhychotherium's bones have already made the trip to Mesa and are on temporary display in the museum's "Paradise Lost: Arizona South of the Ice" exhibit. The exhibit features fossils found at 111 Ranch that date from the late Pliocene Epoch.
When the skull is reunited with its bones, it will be one of the museum's largest pieces.
"It is perhaps the most complete rhynchothere ever discovered," McCord said. "It's the biggest thing I've collected since I've been at the museum."
Comments
13 comment(s)Tricia Wenzl wrote on Sep 20, 2008 4:32 PM:
ciara wrote on Jul 17, 2008 9:06 PM:
Warnar Moll Amsterdam The Netherlands wrote on Jul 14, 2008 11:20 AM:
In literature there are many scientific indications that the preparation of the sacred liquid (Haoma),could not contain a Hallucinogen-Entheogen drug (cf publications of Harry Falk, Jan Houben, Frits Staal and the late Mary Boyce).
As a plant-physiologist and toxicologian, I did some study about the preparation of Parahom (as described in Avesta). From the scientic point of view it is impossible that the sacred drink is hallucinogen.
I do not understand the arguments of the Pima's Church of Cognizance.
It is as stupid as the assert: Jesus used Marihuana. "
tom wrote on Apr 19, 2008 3:15 PM:
F THE SYSTEM!!! wrote on Feb 14, 2008 9:15 AM:
LaVae McClellan wrote on Feb 5, 2008 1:51 PM:
joe tapia wrote on Dec 9, 2007 8:05 PM:
JOE TAPIA wrote on Dec 9, 2007 12:11 AM:
Katelynn Nichols wrote on Dec 7, 2007 5:34 PM:
Stephen wrote on Nov 30, 2007 8:57 AM:
SMSmom wrote on Nov 9, 2007 12:11 PM:
Keisha wrote on Oct 27, 2007 8:03 PM:
linda wrote on Oct 26, 2007 11:59 AM: