TUSKS! Ice Age Mammoths & Mastodons
Mammoths and mastodons, extinct relatives of modern elephants, roamed much
of North America until the end of the last Ice Age, 10,000 years ago. This specimen-rich
exhibit tells the story of these fabulous creatures, and some of their close
relatives and neighbors, as revealed by fossil discoveries and current research.
Early proboscideans – large beasts with tusks and a long, flexible trunk or
proboscis – originated in the Old World. They entered North America at various
times in the past when a land bridge from Asia allowed passage during times
of lower sea level. The first arrived 15 million years ago and included mastodons,
shoveltuskers, spiraltuskers, and gomphotheres. Mammoths arrived in North America
about 2 million years ago. The proboscideans were giants in ancient ecosystems
populated by a wide diversity of animals and plants. The exhibition features
80 specimens that include extinct proboscideans and some of their Ice Age neighbors,
such as carnivores, horses, giant ground sloths and giant armadillos. Colorful
interpretive banners feature artists’ reconstructions of the animals and photo
murals of scientists at work.
North America’s first human residents lived alongside mammoths and mastodons
for several thousand years. Did humans play a role in the extinction of these
giants? The exhibition explores this question, and highlights other scientific
research on the diets of ancient proboscideans and the climates and ecosystems
in which they lived.