This Fossil Friday, meet the Warren mastodon: the first complete American mastodon (Mammut americanum) skeleton found in the United States! This fossilized proboscidean was discovered in a bog in Newburgh, New York in 1845. It was remarkable for being preserved in the position in which it had died some 11,000 years ago—standing upright with its legs thrust forward and its head tilted upward, likely gasping for air under mud in which it had become mired. Shortly after its excavation, the Warren mastodon’s tusks began to decay. But thanks to Museum preparators, the tusk fragments were reassembled and restored to their proper length of 8 ft 6 in (2.6 m).
See the Warren mastodon up close in the Hall of Advanced Mammals! The Museum is open daily from 10 am–5:30 pm. Plan your visit.
Photo: D. Finnin / © AMNH
