A Florida man recently discovered a prehistoric jackpot while diving off the Florida coast.
Lundberg, who studied marine biology at the University of South Florida, told Fox News Digital that he found the ancient mastodon tusk while searching for fossils off the coast of Manasota Key, about 90 miles south of Tampa.
He discovered the remains in April.
The undated mastodon tusk could be millions of years old.
Lundberg, 29, has been scuba diving for 12 years, but said he’s been a fossil hunter since “he could walk.”
“When I was growing up, my dad would take us to construction sites to look for fossils,” Lundberg explains.
“It’s common to find small pieces or chunks of tusk but it’s extremely rare to find one this large and well preserved,” the cleaner added.
“The tusks found in Florida are typically very delicate and fall apart easily.”
According to the National Park Service (NPS), the American mastodon became extinct about 10,500 years ago.
Fossils of the giant creature have been found throughout North and Central America, from Alaska to Mexico.
Contrary to popular belief, mastodons are not the same species as mammoths, but they do share a common ancestor with mammoths and elephants.
This creature can grow up to 10 feet tall.
“Mastodon is [4 to 3 million years ago]”Mammoths did not arrive in North America until much later, during the Pleistocene ice age,” the National Park Service website says.
The Pleistocene period lasted from 2.6 million years ago to 11,700 years ago.
“Mastodons coexisted with mammoths in many places, but North American proboscideans became extinct by about 10,500 years ago,” the National Park Service added.
Lundberg advises would-be fossil hunters to remember to get a fossil permit if they are lucky enough to find a prehistoric artifact.
Fossil mining permits in Florida cost just $5 each.
“My best advice is to get out there and explore and keep your head down,” he said.
“This material is spreading across the state.”
As for where the ancient mastodon tusk will go next, Lundberg said he plans to keep it unless experts decide it’s important enough to be donated.
Flori Legius/Universal Image Group via Getty Images
“We’re going to keep it, but we have to report it to the Florida Museum of Natural History at the end of the year,” he said.
“If it is deemed scientifically important, it would have to be donated, but that’s highly unlikely.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Florida Museum of Natural History for comment, but experts were not available to comment at the time of publication.
