(ORDO NEWS) — A resident of the American village of Red House, West Virginia, USA, while hunting for turkeys, found the skull of a giant sloth aged 11 thousand years and weighing about 13 kilograms. It is reported by Outdoor Life.
Kevin Adkins, 36, went hunting with his father-in-law Tony Hager. The men tracked the turkey for about half an hour. When the bird took off, they ran after it to the stream.
The hunters made their way across the mountain stream, stepping on the rubble that had been washed away by the flood that hit the region two days earlier.
“When we were crossing the stream, I looked down and saw something bulging. I thought it was a snag and was about to kick it, but at the last moment I noticed something unusual. They were teeth. I picked up the find,” said Adkins.
The skull he found weighed about 13 kilograms and was covered with clay and sand. The man cleaned it and saw the remains of wool and a jawbone with teeth. He decided to take the find with him.
At home, they put the find on the table. Adkins’ wife Elizabeth suggested that it was a cow’s skull. “But the father-in-law answered in the negative.
It was something else. Then we started to google and send photos to relatives and friends. Then I published a post on social networks, ”the man said.
The skull retained four teeth on each side, but no fangs. Adkins’ father George, after searching the Internet, came to the conclusion that this is the skull of a giant sloth that lived in what is now West Virginia. The men contacted representatives of the State Geological Survey.
The scientists recommended that Adkins contact Dr. Greg McDonald, known as Dr. Sloth because of his specialization in these prehistoric animals.
“Doctor McDonald confirmed that I found the skull of a giant sloth. These animals lived from five million to 11 thousand years ago. The giant sloth weighed about 900 kilograms and reached three meters in length, ”Adkins explained.
The American has hidden the skull in a safe place and decides what to do now: carry out carbon dating or immediately give the skull to the museum.
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