A fossil mastodon tusk found in the northern Greek region of Grevena has officially been entered into the Guinness Book of Records as the largest ever found.

The tusk is truly mammoth at 5.02 metres in length, dates back three million years and belongs to the extinct mastodon species Mammut borsoni.

The previous record for the world’s largest tusk was also held by a tusk found in the Grevena region in 1997, with a length of 4.39 metres.

In a special event at the Milias Natural History Museum, where the tusks and other paleontological finds discovered in a local dig are on display, the Guinness Book of Records also awarded the museum and Grevena local authorities for their contribution to the work being carried out by Thessaloniki University’s Geology Department.

After receiving the prize, Grevena prefect Dimosthenis Kouptsidis outlined plans for a modern Paleontology Centre in the Milias are, at a site near the excavation area.