Scholars are hailing the discovery of a fossilized mastodon jaw discovered by a man who spotted two giant teeth while gardening at his New York home.

“When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts,” the Orange County resident said in the NYSM’s December 17th announcement, adding that he was “thrilled” by the discovery.

A complete mastodon jaw found by a New York homeowner will undergo "extensive scientific analysis" before being put on display to the public.

A complete mastodon jaw fossil was found in the backyard of a New York home, the first discovery of its kind in over 11 years.

"This discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of New York," New York State Museum's Robert Feranec said.

The proboscidean's jaw was found about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northwest of New York City, and will be put on public display next year.

While mowing the lawn back in September, a homeowner in Orange County, New York, spotted strange objects poking through the plants. At first, the resident thought they were baseballs. But after picking them up,

When a homeowner in New York was recently doing yardwork and stumbled upon something in the dirt, they initially thought it was just an old baseball — but it turned out to be part of a mastodon jaw. After further digging,