Six-year-old Julian Gagnon was hiking with his family at the Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve in Rochester Hills when he discovered an incredible find in the sticks and dirt; a fossilized mastodon tooth. The tooth, verified by UMMP Vertebrate Collection Manager Adam Rountrey, appears to be the upper right molar of a juvenile mastodon.

Julian has decided to donate the tooth to the U-M Museum of Paleontology for safe keeping and further research. The museum will be giving the family a tour of the collection space as a special thank you for the generous donation. 

To learn more about Julian's discovery, you can read more at Mastodon tooth found by 6-year-old on a hike. He’s donating it to the University of Michigan, written by MLive.