Mastodon and giant sloth remains up to 40,000 years old found in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, archaeologists and paleontologists have recovered from the ground the remains of a mastodon and a giant sloth that could have lived in the country up to 40,000 years ago. Authorities and specialists reported the discovery on Friday, calling it the largest for the country in recent decades.

As specified in the National Museum of Costa Rica, the bones were discovered by accident - on private property in the province of Cartago, east of the capital San Jose. After an initial assessment, experts began excavating and fixing the material to determine the age and burial conditions of the remains.

According to the museum, preliminary conclusions are based on the geological analysis of the site and the study of soil layers: at the current stage, researchers estimate the age of the find in the range of 10 to 40 thousand years. This means that the animals could have lived in the region in the late Pleistocene - an era when representatives of the so-called megafauna were still found across the Americas.

So far, scientists have lifted 49 bone fragments, among which are mentioned femur, vertebrae and ribs. The museum emphasises that we are talking about two significant representatives of the ancient fauna: mastodon - a close relative of modern elephants, and a giant sloth - a distant ancestor of the current sloths, known for slowness and long curved claws.

The find is already being hailed as "one of the most significant" for the country in decades, both because of the rarity of such well-preserved remains and because of its scientific potential: further research could clarify what species lived in the region, how ecosystems changed and what natural conditions accompanied the life of large animals in Central America.

The Minister of Culture and Youth of Costa Rica, Jorge Rodriguez, said that the raised material is planned to be shown to the public - after processing and scientific work, the remains will be exhibited in the National Museum.