Description:



Originally offered at $1200...

North America, early Pliocene to end of the Pleistocene, Ice Age, ca. 5 million to 11,000 years old. A fossilized rib bone from the extinct mastodon - Mammut americanum. The more sharply upward angled side contains the bulbous head protrusion and a tubercle lower down, then the straighter shaft, and the sternal extremity at the opposite end; the rounded head would attach to the spine of the animal. The surface has developed a rich patina of umber brown, from the minerals and chemicals present in the environment as the bone fossilized. Mastodons had a similar appearance to modern-day elephants, with a more muscular build that made them more comparable to Asian elephants. The largest land animals of the Ice Age, some of the largest mastodons grew up to 10.7 feet tall at the shoulders and weighed about 8.6 US tons! Size: 38" L x 3" W (96.5 cm x 7.6 cm); 13.5" H (34.3 cm) on included custom stand.

When initially discovered, Mastodons were especially regarded for their teeth, which actually gave the animal its name. French naturalist Georges Cuvier in 1817 dubbed these fossilized remains as mastodons meaning "nipple teeth" because of their shape. These nipple shaped teeth were suited for mashing leaves and twigs rather than grasses; mastodons lived in forested environments, unlike mammoths, who lived in open grasslands. This is an impressive piece, from an animal whose fossilized remains are so awe-inspiring that Thomas Jefferson kept some of them in the White House - mistakenly believing that they belonged to a long-dead carnivore!

Provenance: private Berthoud, Colorado, USA collection

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#171630

  • Condition: Clear fixative coating on bulbous head area and fissure stabilizer added to shaft, otherwise intact and excellent.

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December 29, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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