Mystery of Mastodon Bones Found in Kent Co Closer to Being Solved

Mastodon bones were found recently in Kent County and researchers have discovered more about the mystery of the animal.

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Mastodon, Elephant, or Wolly Mammoth?

It is easy to confuse a mastodon, elephant, or woolly mammoth when you find a couple of big bones in a hole in the ground.

To better explain the difference, in the picture above, to give you an idea of just how big these animals are, the man is 6 feet tall. The animal in the back is a Columbian Mammoth, the middle is an African Elephant, and the one in front is an American Mastodon. So there are some distinct differences between these three animals.

Mastodon Bones Found in Kent County

Recently a Michigan road crew was working along 22 Mile Road in Kent City when they uncovered a three-foot-long femur.

Can you imagine stumbling across a 3-foot-long femur? That would definitely be a surprise, the only bad part is when working on a job site and dinosaur bones are found, things tend to shut down for a while.

Shutting down was exactly what happened. According to WOOD, researchers from the University of Michigan stepped in to identify the bones as those of a mastodon that was somewhere between 9 and 11 years old. Researchers also determined the animal had not died in that location. No word is to how the bones got to the location they were found in.

Mastodon Bones Donated to Grand Rapids Museum

WOOD reported that only 60% of the mastodon's bones were recovered so it's not enough to piece together the beast but should make a great display for museum-goers.

The bones will need to be cleaned and dried but will eventually make for all to see at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.