A massive mammoth molar found in a river bed near Exeter is on its way to the city's museum.
The 20,000-year-old mammoth tooth was spotted by Simon McHugh who was checking bank erosion along the River Otter outside Newton Poppleford.
Experts at London's Natural History Museum have confirmed the unusual find as a mammoth tooth dating from the last Ice Age.
It is the first such tooth found in Devon for some 200 years.
The owner of the land where it was found has agreed to donate the tooth to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. But before it can go on display, the molar must undergo special preservation. If it dries out, there is a danger it could fall apart.
The section of riverbank where Simon made his once-in-a-lifetime discovery was heavily eroded during last year's floods. It is believed the tooth was washed into the river as previously buried areas of gravelbed were exposed.
Simon, a biodiversity technical officer, said: "I was out with some Environment Agency colleagues assessing bank erosion near Newton Poppleford when I saw what looked like a big tooth lying in about a foot of water on the riverbed gravels. It was only after I retrieved it and examined the tooth more closely that I realised I'd found something special .
"'The tooth has very good definition which would have been lost if it had been transported far down the river."
Simon believes the tooth had 'petrified' and absorbed silica and/or other minerals after lying buried in the ground for thousands of years. This has made it heavier than when it was 'in use.'
Weighing a hefty 2.2kg and measuring 20cm in length, 7cm wide and 13cm deep, the tooth is a right upper molar from a mammoth that was approximately 20 years old when it died. Mammoths were relatively long lived with an average life expectancy of 60 – 80 years.
Experts have confirmed it is a rare find. The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter have 11 other mammoth teeth in their collection, but only two are from Devon sites. The others are from North America and other parts of Europe.
This latest discovery is the first in Devon since the 1800's and is thought to be between 20,000 – 70,000 years old.
Mammoths finally died out around 3,000 years ago. Their extinction is thought to have been caused by climate change and hunting.
The River Otter mammoth tooth will probably go on display at Exeter Museum as part of a special exhibition.
