This is a pretty awesome story. Could you imagine what it would feel like to be 11 and make a find like that?

This story is months old and I commented on it at the time. The Huffington
Post has this nagging idea that re-running articles is more important than
doing actual investigative footwork and reporting on the thousands of events,
topics and situations that are more news worthy and more important to our
sojourn through time and space.

Oooop! Patch ran it. Now I'm embarrassed!

I just hope that I don't see this for-sale on ebay...
When I was his age, all I found were 2 turtle eggs by the river bank..

Of course not. This is such an improtant find for them, that it would be a shame to just sell it. They will either keep it as a great souvenir to show their children and grand-children, or donate it to the museum. Cristina - Eric's mom :)

Yes I can only imagine how excited the boy's have been over finding the Mastodon bone, it would be nice for them to donate it to a museum and many years from now go by and show their children the bone!

This story has not ran before, cause I just signed the media release just in Nov this year, and Cranbrook did press release this week. You may be referring to another one, and I would be interested to know who else found a bone. This is Eric's first encounter with the media.

I'm trying to figure out where this discovery happened? I'm not familiar with any of the names. They were playing in their backyard at 24 Mile and Dequindre roads, but it doesn't say the name of the town/state. I've never heard of the Shelby-Utica Patch newspaper, but I do know that there is a Utica in upstate NY. Apparrently, they live in Shelby Township, but that didn't help me either. I've never heard of Roberts Elementary School or Utica Community Schools either (although, there is that city of Utica mentioned again.) So, I convinced myself that it was Utica, NY until I got further down in the story and read "More than 211 mastodons have been discovered in the southern portion of the Lower Peninsula and it is Michigan’s state fossil." So, now I'm confused. Is there a Utica, Michigan? Or is the article state that there were more than 211 bones found in Michigan, but only one bone found in Utica, NY? (as a comparison) Or that the Shelby-Utica bone will be displayed with the other 211 plus bones in the museum in Michigan?

How exciting. I am happy to hear your son is experiencing some positive attention from his fossil find.

Fact Check please. Three thousand or three million ?

at the end of the day how much money are the kids going to get ???

My God the fossilized bone is not an artifact and this was not an Archaeological find. Lets try Paleontological!

It's a nice story. The boys must be so proud. It will be a great conversation piece for everyone!!!! Good going Andrew & Eric!!!!!!

I glad he gets to keep it. But just out of curosity, didn't the land owner have any interest in keeping it?

When I was the same age I was wandering around the woods in the backyard and I found the stone from a prehistoric stone axe. I never reported it to anyone and still have it. At the time I thought it was the coolest thing.

How exciting for the boys! Personally I think he should keep it and share with his family for generations, just like the other great trophies people have. Especially since it is keeping him motivated in school and in science. What a constant great reminder for him and his cousin. Who knows how their path may have been altered now.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13480640 This is what they probably saw

I am a science teacher in Chicago. Are the boys interested in selling the bone? Let me know. Ron Simons

I think it would be fabulous for the time being to keep the bone, admire it! He has plently of time to donate it later. Im a huge science buff and I would've LOVED for this to have happened to me! Eric is a very lucky boy!

And as a man stared at the reconstructed bones of a dinasaur in the museum, he asked a nearby guard how old it was. The guard told him it was 1 million and 5 years old. Amazed, the man asked how they could be so sure of an exact age. The guard explained that when he started working at the museum, they told him they were a million years old... And that was five years before.

I remember as a kid in the 50's, we used to walk along the railroad tracks between East and West Dearborn looking for fossils in the railroad bed. We found lots of them, but I don't know what we did with them, unfortunately. They most likely were not of any value anyway.

Well I personally love the story. It is nice to read a story thaqt makes you feel good. When I am Sitting down with my kids for dinner tonight it's stories like this that will have my kids thinking about whats out there in our backyard and maybe one day I'll become an archeologist. Nice to see the comments by the Mom (Christina) sounds like Eric has a good mom looking out for him.

why not just find all the pieces at once, instead of wasting time finding them one by one? It would be much more efficient use of time and lower our carbon footprint at the same time.

Interesting story even if the time travelers are sure they've read it before. Thanks for sharing!

this day in age you sell it for as much as you can get cause noone gives a dam!! everyones got a hand out!! between the government taking away parents rights and the lawyers and doctors!! sell it!!!!!!

very cute baby i m very confuse broooo

My dog , Derek (as in Jeter) , loves bones .

The problem with leaving it to a museum is they sell things. Yes its great to fund the museums but for a kid to find it let him keep it or have him sell it and split the money with the museum if he is feeling philanthropic. BTW haha Patrick you have if from the source about this article being rerun. It's the first time I saw it and I am glad to have a feel good story given the news around us today.

Oh, so it is ok if they keep it? Are you certain they are allowed, what a nice guy.

This is an awesome story. I can just imagine the excitement and satisfaction the boys must have felt. Their faces say it all. Congratulations to them both!

By the way, did all of you know that if this bone were found on Federal Land and taken by those boys, they would have been charged with a felony!!!! Just wanted all to know the position of our Federal Government on such matters.

It's a great thing to find something like that, but it even more greater that a child so young found it because now this finding may make a path that these two boy's will grow up and learn to be an archaeologicalist. Great work as in knowing that it was something with great meaning to it.

I think this is just so cool. Any young boy or GIRL would love to have made a discovery like this. I know my youngest daughter was quite a tomboy when she was that age, and finding something like this would have thrilled her to no end! Kudos to the boys and their parents for contacting someone about it!

run, ran, run
This story has not run before, because

WOW! Super cool! Great find. All we find are Brachiopods and Horn Coral! Have fun and maybe someday the rest of that Mastodon will surface.

What a great find, how cool is that?

I understand one of their mothers used the bone to make soup with it.

mastodon bones are found with some regularity.

here is a story from february 2012: www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/mastodon-bones-found-at-construction-site/article_9c11239a-5e85-11e1-a204-001871e3ce6c.html

here's one that is similar from 2009, as two teen boys found it www.denverpost.com/ci_13480640

Congratulations on finding a mastodon bone. Keep looking for the rest. My wife found a complete skeleton of a young one just outside of Washington DC while on a geology field trip from Univ of MD. They weren't supposed to have mastodons in the area they were looking in.

It amazes me, it just does, what the world evolve into since then.

Dude Why wouldnt you sell it. This is once in a lifetime oppertunity. this could get the 2 boys through college. I would really re think this. what are you going to do with a Mastadon Bone in 30 years while kicking yourself for not selling it to give yourself the best oppertunities in life you can. No Brainer.

Seems like people just want to prove their point here rather than enjoy the excitement of such a great find. Take a pill people and chill.

Sell it ! Make some money and go find another one...

It will be interesting to see how the boys decide to split a bone when their 20 years old and each of them goes their separate way in life. I would actually suggest selling it now to avoid future confrontation. These bones aren't so rare that its worth the two boys arguing when they are older.

Mastodon bone. soup---- add water and veggies of choice ,13,000 year old soup MM
MM good

Huffington Post is way far to the left and in othermatters completely inane. Also why do I have to watch so many commercials to see imortant news like this school shooting?

This is so great for these boys!!! I remember as a kid, I came across an old dump site while digging for worms to go fishing with. I lived two blocks from a lake and fished and swam as much as I could. Then I had to figure in digging in my new found treasure island. I found many great items from the past in this dig and was so proud to show them off even to this day. I truely hope this does perk his devotion in his school work as it did mine. I too struggled until my discovery. Best to the boys and your families and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This will be bad news for those who want to teach that the world is 6,000 to 8,000 years old.

Both boys found it, and both boys should agree to donate it to the museaum. Well sort of. They need to get name recognition at the museaum for their find. They should also negotiate for two FREE lifetime passes to the museum and to any other museum that acquires it or puts it on display. When I was a kid many museums were free; but with the expense nowadays, they should think of their futures. LOL!

I'm shocked some kids are breaking away long enough from the PS3, Xbox360, PC Games, Smart Phones, Laptops, and Wii long enough to even find a dinosaur bone. Amazing

So excited for our friend & neighbor! Keep exploring.

They should get paid for it. 1 million should do.

The ignorance of some people just amazes me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this story. It is a great story of something wonderful happening in two small boys lives. That they will always have memories of! If some of you people(the ones with ignorant and uncaring) comments would put all of that effort toward praying for the angels that left this earth in a great tragedy. Maybe some good would come out of your lonely little lives.

it's a good one for the boys.

I was forwarded this article because my two boys are very interested in dinosaur bones. I imagine the thrill those boys got when finding the bone and leading an archeological teAm to their discovery. How cool. What I don't get is the negative remarks. Jesus, the kids found a bone of a several thousand year old mastodon and all you people can do is bring up grammar and the fact that this was run before. What have any of YOU done to contribute to science? why cant you just praise the fact that the boy is interested in science now and feels important instead of bringing such negativity. His mom reads this and Instead of having a proud moment for her kid, she's defending the release date and getting a lesson from the grammar police. People need to relax.

Joane,

Please prove to me how scientists know that this bone is 13,000 years old without a doubt. Ill be waiting for your answer 13,000 years from now.

Not sure why in the world there are all the negative comments on a feel good story about two young boys finding something pretty cool while outside (instead of playing video games) but whatever, guess people will always find something to complain about. Congrats boys...very awesome thing to find!

wtg nice find....

If you really believe all those dates, I have some other good stories for you...

I do think it's a Great story, but i also think instead of donateing it, they should be recieve some money for it in case they decide to futher their edecation.

The sad part is this: This was great for these kids. In Africa, they are killing and eating or poaching many species. In 100 years, several will be gone because of humans. We have hunted several species to death, like the Passenger Pigeon in the USA. This is part of a chain of life and once a link is broken, other species disappear.

My father years ago while traveling in Alaska found a Mastodon's tooth (molar) and it is amazing. I show it to my students every year during dental month, the tooth is big and black with petrified roots and is very heavy....the Inuit person he was traveling with got the ivory tusk...wish he could have kept that too.

What a wonderful experience in a child's life. These two young boys have experienced nature and it's facinating primative period of time. I have read this thread, and I do not understand how politics, skepticism, ridicule of one of the boy's mothers, has anything to do with this incredible experience. Put your political thoughts away. Put your judgments aside, put your psedo-intellectual selves which enable you feel you are better than those who comment with poor grammar, aside. Rejoice that two young boys have a memory of scientic wonderment, and are willing to share.

Oh, Maureen, you spelled Grammar incorrectly.

How does a bone like this sit for so long in a populated area without being discovered? Truely amazing, glad they found it, maybe there will do some digs around the area and find more.

i love it

Its wonderful to read a story about what wishfully all 11 year old boys could be doing, fishing , exploring the woods and streams and enjoying what should be the most fun years in all children's lives .

Today I read a great many of these dinosaur bone stories. I cannot believe the way adults write and spell and use poor grammar ! Many must have been gazing out the window during the school day.

The puzzling thing about this to me is how do they know it is 11,000 years old. There hasn't been time to carbon test it. Also, carbon 14 has a half life of 5700 years, so how could you possibly verify any carbon 14 remaining in the bone structure is older than that.

When my sister was in the 7th grade, she and our cousin went way way back in the woods, metal detecting... at some old home site.. part of the chimney was still there.... they tore it down the rest of the way and found an old civil war sword. She took it to school to "show and tell" and the sword promptly disappeared. My father was PISSED. We always felt sure that the teacher himself was the one who took it. How else does it disappear the same day right out of his classroom? It don't.

Awesome, The kids will never remember any video game things they did but they'll talk about this forever.

Oh to Gary Lee, Those boys cannot be charged with a crime for finding that Mastadon bone, what is wrong with you. Read the laws. obtw I'am a fossil hunter.

Stamatin? His cousin Gainarlu? Mr. Zawiski? Mr. Pagnani? Dequindre Road?
What planet is this? I think this is a scam.

wiliam m. your penmanship is truly pitiful. maybe you should have found something NEWSWORTHY when you were young. it might have inspired you to be better educated. i admire these young boys who found this bone and how they handled it. nobody ever can take dreams away from you.