The fossil remains of a mammoth, now on display at the Parker Town Hall, were unearthed in July 2002 during excavation of a road for the Stonegate Subdivision. The exhibit consists of a very large tusk and the upper jaw section of the animal's skull. The fossil is thought to be about 200,000 years old. Scientists often use the tooth enamel of elephant remains to positively classify the species, but in this case, the enamel has been worn away. There is still a great deal of information to be gleaned from the teeth however.

The tusks of an elephant have evolved from the upper incisor and it is made of the same fundamental material of the animal's other teeth. At birth the tusks are present as "milk teeth" which are only about 2 inches long. These fall out after about a year and the permanent tusks begin to grow and will grow throughout the elephant's life. An estimate of the Stonegate fossil's age, 53 years, is made from the size of the tusk. But there is another good indicator of age in the elephant's molars.

An elephant only has a total of 24 molars in its lifetime, 12 in the upper jaw and 12 in the lower, 6 on each side. No more than 4 of the 12 are present at the same time. Elephant's teeth are unique in the way they grow from the back of the jaw toward the front, following a linear progression. As the front teeth continuously wear out they are slowly replaced from behind. Each tooth drops out as it reaches the front of the jaw. The elephant has a relatively long growth period compared to most other mammals and its milk teeth must be replaced by larger teeth to ensure it can survive on the diet of coarse grasses and other vegetation that it consumes.

The progression of the elephant's teeth is shown in three photographs (nos. 4, 5 & 6), taken from a display of lower jaws in the Kruger National Park in South Africa. As the animal gets older, often into their 50s or 60s, one of the most limiting factors in their lifespan is teeth wear. Once the last (6th) molar is worn down, it can no longer survive and death from malnutrition or starvation will occur.

From the Stonegate fossil, we can see very large teeth in the upper jaw, probably the 6th set of molars. This would indicate an age in the 50s or possibly older.

The Parker Town Council encourages visitors to stop by the Town Hall, at 20120 E. Mainstreet, during regular business hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m., M - F) to view this interesting exhibit.

Added notes: Though the Stonegate fossil is thought to be 200,000 years old, there are much more recent fossil remains found in North America with several specimens dating to 9,000 or less. One, near Nashville, Tennessee, has been reliably dated to about 7,800 years ago. A pair of tusks excavated in central Texas is the largest ever found - an incredible 16 feet (5 meters) long!