American Lion Fossil Found in Drought-Stricken Mississippi River

Evidence of these Ice Age carnivores is extremely rare in the eastern U.S., but drought has revealed fossils of the American lion in the Mississippi.

By Marisa Sloan
Dec 22, 2022 5:00 PM
Lion
(Credit: Lillian Tveit/Shutterstock)

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Thanks to a lack of rainfall in the Ohio and Upper Mississippi River Valleys this year, the Mississippi River reached a historic low in October. That has meant more threats to drinking water, slowed shipping traffic during its busiest season, and … a treasure trove of archaeological and paleontological finds?

A Civil War-era cartridge box plate turned up near Memphis; farther downriver, in Baton Rouge, the remains of a century-old ferry made an eye-catching appearance. But perhaps the most exciting discovery was made near Rosedale, a small town about 140 miles northwest of Jackson, Mississippi.

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