Missouri Fossil Hunter Pulls 92-Pound Mammoth Bone From River In Stunning Ice Age Discovery

A Missouri man has captured an astonishing discovery on video after pulling what he believes is a massive mammoth femur from a river in northwest Missouri, a bone he says may not have been seen for more than 10,000 years.

Independent fossil hunter Jason Howery filmed himself wading into a shallow river and lifting the enormous bone from the water before carrying it to shore.

The fossil is believed to be a femur from a prehistoric mammoth, one of the giant Ice Age animals that once roamed large parts of North America. According to Howery, the bone weighs approximately 92 pounds, making it an enormous and rare find.

Howery says he immediately recognized the telltale signs of an ancient fossil.

“When you're looking at that type of staining that's on there, and the mineralization of it, it's definitely an authentic piece that hasn't been seen in 10,000-plus years,” he explained.

The discovery is the result of decades of personal research and field exploration. Howery describes himself as a self-funded paleontology enthusiast who has spent more than 20 years searching for Ice Age remains across the region.

For him, the moment represented the payoff from years of studying landscapes, researching fossil sites, and carefully exploring locations where ancient remains might still be buried or preserved.

“It’s all of the hard work coming together over 20 years of doing the research, doing the analysis, doing the fieldwork, and being there and being the first person to have permission to go in and find the right places to look,” he said.

Missouri and the broader Midwest were once home to massive Ice Age mammals, including mammoths and mastodons, which roamed the region thousands of years ago before eventually going extinct.

Large bones and fossils from these animals are occasionally discovered in riverbanks, farmland, and other areas where erosion can expose remains that have been buried for millennia.

Howery now hopes the bone can be further studied and preserved so more can be learned about its age and origin.

For the longtime fossil hunter, however, the discovery represents more than just a remarkable artifact from the distant past.

After decades of searching, he says it’s proof that extraordinary pieces of ancient history can still be hiding in plain sight, waiting for someone patient enough to find them.