Amebelodon Exhibit

It turns out our newest exhibit is also the oldest object we have. In March 1988, Jack Weed, while excavating in a sandpit south of nearby Levant, Kansas uncovered what he thought could be bones of an ancient mastodon or mammoth. They were taken to Sternberg Museum of Natural History operated by Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas for analysis. It was determined the three pieces were jaw fragments with teeth from a prehistoric creature known as an Amebelodon.
Visit the Sternberg website at http://sternberg.fhsu.edu/

(Click photos to enlarge)

What's an Amebelodon? Amebelodon (Greek for "shovel tusk") is pronounced AM-ee-BELL-oh-don. Amebelodon is a member of a group of primitive proboscideans called gomphotheres which give rise to the modern elephants and their close relative the mammoth. The most striking attribute of this animal is its lower tusks which are narrow, elongated and distinctly flattened.  Amabeledon first appeared in the Great Plains and Gulf Coast regions of North America roughly 9 million years ago, and apparently became extinct on this continent about 6 million years ago.

 

 In April 2015 the jaw fragments were returned to Thomas County where they were found. They are on loan to Prairie Museum of Art & History in Colby from the Sternberg Museum of Natural History for a 10 year period. The loan is renewable upon the condition the specimen be safely housed and used for display purposes. After custom building a display case and selecting just the right location, the fragments are now on exhibit.

After visiting the exhibit, be sure to check out our gift shop. Gift shop manager, Kelsi, has added a supply of miniature resin Amebelodon figurines as a souvenir of your Amebelodon adventure. Kids are encouraged to enter the "Name the Amebelodon" contest. The winner will get one of these miniatures.