A remarkable discovery has surfaced in the world of paleontology: a 450,000-year-old mammoth tusk, unearthed by fossil hunter Jamie Jordan in a Cambridgeshire quarry near Peterborough, England. The four-foot-long tusk, believed to belong to a steppe mammoth from the pre-Ice Age era, was an unexpected find for Jordan, who described it as "sticking out like a sore thumb."

The steppe mammoth, a significantly larger ancestor of the modern elephant, could reach heights of up to 13 feet and weigh a staggering 14 tons. For Jordan, who has been fossil hunting since childhood, this marked the first time he had encountered a complete mammoth tusk, as they are usually fragmented during quarrying.

The tusk has been entrusted to Jamie's Fossils Galore, a non-profit paleontology museum, for a meticulous six-month preservation process. This involves keeping the tusk hydrated to prevent deterioration. Following preservation, the museum team will conduct a thorough examination to glean insights into the mammoth's life, including its habitat, diet, and potential interactions with predators, including early humans.

Jamie's Fossils Galore, established by Jordan in 2003, serves as an educational platform and resource for paleontology enthusiasts. In addition to the mammoth tusk, the museum is actively involved in ongoing research, including the analysis of an iguanodon dinosaur skeleton discovered in Surrey in 2017 and a nearly complete plesiosaur skeleton found in 2008.