The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1888-06-29
A whopping Big Tooth.

Il rom the vernon inter-Lake.
We are indie bted to DR.. M. C. Sculley
for the following valuable paper:
An interesting fossil was found few
days ago by James Harrington, on his
farm in Vernon township. It was a molar
tooth of the now extinct Mastodon that
once inhabited this country. 1t is in fair
state of preservation and measures 6 !
inches longitudinally and more than three
inches transversely across its grinding sur
face. 1t is provided with four distinct
mammillated ridgers or tubercles which
distinguished this extinct animal from its
modern representative the elephant, whose
molar teeth are not differentiated on their
surface. The enamel, which is about ! of
an inch in thickness. has scaled off in
places, but still the tooth is in good state
of preservation.
The Mdstod0n AsneaTcanus, and several
extinct species inhabited the entire area of
the United States and Canada, but were
probably more numerous In the Northern
States. / think about ten nearly perfect
skeletons have been exhumed in the United
States. Three or four in the state of New
York, one in New Jersey, one on the
Missouri river, one in Indiana and two in
been found numerous bones, teeth and
tusks in all sections of the country. Sew
eral parts have recently been found in this
county besides the sample in question.
The best preserved skeleton of the Mas
todon hitherto found is that which was
found near Newburg, N. Y, in 1916, and
set up in Boston, where IL now stands.
This is described by DIR. Warren in his
work entitled 1.-THE Mastodon of North
America" This skeleton is eleven feet in
height and seventeen feet long from head
to commencement OF tail, and when alive
the animal must have been not less than
twelve feet in height and twenty four feet
in length. The circumference of the skel.
eton around the chest, is more than sixteen
feet, and the circumference of the humerus,
or arm bone. is thirty.nine inches. An
other fine skeleton, and nearly as large.
can be seen In the museum in Albany, N.
Y. Another fine skeleton, which was ex.
humed in Indiana and set up in Chicago,
was destroyed in the great Chicago tire.
Two nearly complete skeletons have been
found in Michigan. One near Tccumseh,
and another In Cass county, and it Is be-
lieved that, as the marshes and swamps
become drained and cleared, numerous
other remains will be secured
The MastOd0n must have lived and
flourished in America down to within one
thousand years OF the present time and
perhaps much less. They probably sur
vived tothe beginning of the present epoch
(See Winchelrs Geological Studies) as the
skeleton found near Tecumseh was only
eighteen inches below the surface of the
marsh. The Indians must have inhabited
the country long before the mastodon be.
came extinct, as stone arrow heads. and
other implements are found in deeper
| strata than the bones in the same locality.
These bones are generally found in peat
boys or marshes; where, it is thought, they
went for water or food and became mired.
This is,perhaps true where whole skeletons
are f9ynH in position. Prof. Winchel
suggess fhat In some cases. they may have
died on The uplands, and the rains, flood,
and other agencies of after ages, have
served to disintcgrate and remove the diff
ferent parts to the lowlands which may
have been lakes at that time and which
have since become filled with peat, which
has served to preserve the part:
until the present time. This theory
would explain why bones, teeth, etc. are
found isolated over the country.
The fossil In question, Ia now In the In
| ter. Lake Office where Il may be seen for a
| few days. when 1t will be presented 10 the
Michigan University Museum by Mr.. Har
| rington.