The State Fossil Is a Giant

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THE STATE FOSSIL “We found these huge depressions and started joking about how they IS A GIANT were mastodon tracks,” Fisher told the Yak in 1996, when the cast was Mastodons are on the move unveiled. again. “But as soon as we began to see Thanks mainly to the students Owosso, east of Flint, about 95 a pattern, we realized there was no at Slauson Middle School in Ann percent of its bones are real. The explanation for it. They were Arbor, the long-extinct mammal was rest are plaster replicas. mastodon tracks. It was very named the Michigan state fossil in Near the skeleton is a cast of exciting.” April of 2002. This magnificent eight male mastodon footprints. The cast is in a darkened area, creature once lived all over Michigan The original prints were discovered with a spotlight shining on it. It looks and North America. It disappeared by Fisher in 1992 in some sand near so real you feel as if a mastodon about 10,000 years ago, but its Ann Arbor. They were part of a walked through the museum right bones are still being studied by track of about 30 prints, the before you got there. paleontologists (pay-lee-on-TAHL-uh- longest and best mastodon trail The real prints, which were too jists), or fossil scientists. ever found! fragile to dig up, were carefully “Generally, several new Michigan reburied. Mastodons forever! sites are reported each year, and we Bonus question: Only one Congratulations to all those involved study a number of them,” said Dan other Michigan animal, also in the campaign to have one of our two PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Fisher, a paleontologist at the extinct, was about the same size largest native animals officially This nearly-complete mastodon skeleton University of Michigan. One of the as the mastodon. What was it? recognized. is at the University of Michigan Exhibit most complete mastodon skeletons Answer: The woolly mammoth, Museum of Natural History. A female, it ever found — a female — is at the another elephant-like mammal, By Patricia Chargot was found near Owosso, about 60 miles U-M Exhibit Museum of Natural though there were a lot fewer north of Ann Arbor. History. Discovered in 1944 near of them..

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