By DUANE NOLLEN Researchers at the mammoth dig site in rural
Mahaska County discovered a mammoth tusk Sunday morning that was
at least 4 feet long. “It’s a huge tusk,” said Dr. Jim North of
William Penn University. “We found it today,” said Dave Brenzel
of the Indian Creek Nature Center. “It’s a male.” Sarah Horgen
of the University of Iowa Natural History Museum is coordinating
the research effort at the dig site. So far, fossils of two
mammoths have been found there. Sunday morning, a research team
from Iowa State University as well as an Oskaloosa Elementary
School teacher were among the group of 20 volunteers working at
the site. The group was working in the eastern portion of the
dig site that was excavated Friday when they discovered the
tusk. Musco Lighting officials arranged for a work crew from
Exodus Landscaping to bring an excavator and a bulldozer to the
location to enlarge the dig site. Brenzel said the walls of the
dig site were starting to cave in because of the water level.
So, the enlarged si