Digging Science

A fossil discovery 13 years in the making!

Florida Caverns State Park

The only open air cave system open to the public in Florida and an almost otherworldly thing to experience. These are just a few snapshots of my trip there this week.

Gomphotheriidae is an extinct family of elephant-like mammals that were common in Southeastern, United States during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. Often referred to as shovel-tusked elephants, their large teeth and unique tusks were specialized for browsing and rooting for food. While American Mastodons and Columbian Mammoths left abundant remains across the US, the Gomphothere is significantly harder to find.

You can own your own piece of Gomphothere tooth by following the link in our bio!