In a rare find along the parched banks of the Mississippi River, a Mississippi resident discovered a fossilized jawbone belonging to an American lion that roamed the region around 11,000 years ago. This remarkable discovery marks only the fourth fossil of the ancient American lion to be found in Mississippi, as reported by McClatchy News.
The resident, Wiley Prewitt, came across a massive black tooth-like object in the sand, which turned out to be a fragment of a carnivore’s jaw. Intrigued by his find, Prewitt decided to showcase the discovery at a Mississippi Fossil & Artifact Symposium and Exhibition event on October 29.
Speaking to McClatchy News, Prewitt shared his astonishment, “I could tell from the teeth right away that it was a fragment of a carnivore’s jaw, but I dared not hope it was from an American lion. It certainly looked right, but I wouldn’t let myself believe it.”
Upon examination by experts, the jawbone was identified as belonging to the Panthera atrox species, commonly known as the large American lion. This majestic creature was believed to be the largest big cat on the continent, measuring nearly 8 feet in length, standing 4 feet tall, and weighing up to 1,000 pounds, according to information from the National Park Service. The American lion has been extinct for approximately 11,000 years.
The Mississippi River, a crucial transportation route, faced disruptions due to unusually low water levels caused by the drought in recent months. Some areas along the river experienced their lowest water levels in a decade, leading to challenges for shipping activities spanning multiple states, as highlighted in the most recent climate report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
This recent fossil discovery joins a string of historical remnants unveiled by the receding waters of the Mississippi River during the drought. Earlier in October, the low water levels exposed the remains of a sunken ship along the riverbanks. Archaeologists believe that the wreckage likely belonged to a ferry that sank in the late 19th or early 20th century after sustaining damage during a storm, as reported by The Associated Press.
Although this recent exposure revealed the entirety of the ship for the first time, fragments of the vessel had previously emerged during low-water periods in the 1990s. Chip McGimsey, Louisiana’s state archaeologist, recounted the previous sightings, explaining, “They had to move a lot of dirt just to get some narrow windows in to see bits and pieces.”
As climate change continues to exacerbate drought conditions through increased evaporation due to rising global temperatures, experts caution that more relics of the past may come to light as waters recede, offering glimpses into history buried beneath the river’s surface.
