Mammoths and mastodons

Hey, equus. They're both furry elephants, no? Just guessing, my friend, but I think the mastadon had huge curled tusks and the mammoth was just huge. <smile>



Later, a picture of the mammoth.

the mammoth was more of an upright creature then the mastodon was --
And I believe the mastodon was smaller in frame

The difference being the equivalence of the asian and african elepants today




I also believe that one was found ..... later....... then the other?
Seems like they were a few thousand years apart... if I remember correctly

Actually..
I shouldnt say UPRIGHT
just .. taller

thats what i mean

Found this, too, Equus:

Another notable and enlightening difference between the ancient mastodons and modern elephants is the shape of the teeth. Mammoths' (now extinct, but not as ancient as the mastodons) and elephants' teeth are flat with a ridged grinding surface. Mastodon teeth are rounded and pointed for clipping leaves and twigs, for they were primarily forest-dwelling creatures. Research on the teeth gives clues to the lifestyle, habitat, and feeding habits of the ancient proboscideans. Unlike the modern elephant, which is reserved to warmer climates, the ancient mastodon occupied a larger area which covered a wide sector of northern continents. The link between the archaic mastodon and the modern elephant is the woolly mammoth, also an extinct mammal.

My word, what an interesting thread. That wolf lady knows whereof she speaks.

As an interesting aside: mammouth ivory (especially from Sibiria) is the only ivory legally on the market nowadays - some earn a pretty penny with it!

They say Siberian nomads have been known to eat frozen Mammoth carcasses. I wonder what it tastes like? (probably a lot like frozen Mastodon)

I thought I replied to this thread a few days ago.

We have a state park a bit south of St Louis, it's very tiny, but interesting.

http://www.mostateparks.com/mastodon.htm

Interesting. I'll have to visit there someday.

that really never be your menu

That sounds like a great park.
Have you been there?

I have been to the park..two or three years ago. As is the case with most of our smaller state parks, they are always adding more as the money becomes available, so I'm sure it's grown a tad since I was there.

The actual site where they found the mastodon, is at the bottom of a cliff face. You can walk down to it, either by trail or down a very, very long wooden staircase. We took the stairs, great views of the valley below during the decent, as well as some really cool rock formations. But when we got to the bottom, wasn't much there..but they were in the process of adding something.

I have to go back at some point, I have a book that lists all of our {MO} state parks, and there is a blank spot where they will stamp it for you to show that you have been there. I wasn't planning on going to any sites that day and didn't take the book with me.

If someone were going to St. Louis, and were in the southern area, I'd recommend stopping.