The Mastodon has officially been declared the National Fossil of the United States of America! The National Fossil Act, introduced by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Mike Braun (R-IN), passed unanimously.
“Michigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,” said Senator Peters. “The Mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan’s and our nation’s history. By establishing the Mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.”
We couldn’t agree more!
Wait, What’s a Mastodon?
Mastodons are related to modern day elephants. Now extinct, they lived here in Michigan during the Ice Age, with the oldest mastodon fossil found in North America having lived 3.75 million years ago. They stood 8-11 feet tall at the shoulder and they weighed between four and seven tons.
You may have also heard of mammoths, a similar extinct species that lived around the same time as the mastodon. Mammoths were a bit taller than mastodons, but one striking distinction between the two is the shape of their teeth. Mammoth teeth feature many short ridges, perfect for grinding down grasses. Mastodon teeth have much longer, conical ridges for eating leaves and more woody material. Check out this comparison:
Mastodons at the GRPM
In August 2022, the GRPM received a donation of juvenile mastodon bones discovered near Kent City, Michigan. Known as the Clapp Family Mastodon, these bones were excavated by a dedicated team from the Museum and the University of Michigan, led by Dr. Cory Redman, the GRPM’s Science Curator. They are currently drying at the Museum’s collections storage facility.
Learn more about the Clapp Family Mastodon here.
The Clapp Family Mastodon is not our only mastodon! The skull and tusks of a mastodon called Smitty can be spotted in the F is for Fossils exhibit on the Museum’s first floor. Smitty was discovered in Grandville in the 1985 and given to the Museum by Grand Valley State University in 1990. Scientists could determine quite a bit from these bones. We know Smitty lived into his early 30’s and died in the fall.
Additionally, the Moorland Mastodon is stored in the Museum’s Collections. Found near Ravenna, Michigan, this incomplete Mastodon was merged with bones found in Florida to create a more complete display. This combination of two mastodon specimens was on exhibit around the turn of the 20th century when the Museum was still called the Kent Scientific Institute.
One of our third floor exhibits gives visitors a feel for what the Kent Scientific Institute looked like. It features a cast mastodon specimen from the Illinois State Museum alongside bird and mineral specimens, just as the Moorland Mastodon would have looked in the early 1900s.
We are so happy to celebrate this ancient giant’s importance in our natural history. Visit us to see our Mastodon specimens and learn more about these magnificent creatures.
