Name/Title
S34.06.015Description
Donn Davids, curator of natural history from the Ohio Historical Society, is pictured with some of the McGill Mastodon (Mammut americanum) bones next to a barn in Concord Township, Champaign County, Ohio. During the channelizing of Glady Creek in August 1978, some remnants of a mastodon were dredged up and deposited on an adjacent corn field. The remains were taken to the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, Ohio, for identification. After digging test trenches in the area on September 12, 1978, staff from the Ohio Historical Society undertook a salvage excavation at the site on September 18, 1978. An excavation trench 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8 feet deep was dug in an attempt to locate additional mastodon remains. This excavation produced a first rib, the sacrum, an epiphyseal plate, skull fragments, and a toe bone. The finds were widely scattered in the excavation and appeared to have been previously disturbed, possibly by channelizing of Glady Creek in the 1930s or 1940s. The image was taken by Michael C. Hansen in September 1978. The location given is approximate to the excavation site.
REVIEW
The mastodon is known as the McGill Mastodon. Specimen remains are part of the museum collections of the Ohio Historical Society (Ohio Historical Society catalog number N8740).
For more information, see: "Brief Note: McGill Mastodon Found in Champaign County" by Ann Bingaman (Ohio Academy of Science, Ohio Journal of Science, Vol. 80, No. 4, July 1980) page 166-167.
During the channelizing of Glady Creek in Champaign County, Ohio, in August 1978, some remnants of a mastodon (Mammut americanum) were dredged up and deposited on an adjacent corn field. These remains were brought by the property owner, Mr. Ned McGill, to the Ohio Historical Society for identification.
This slide image included in the USGS National Digital Catalog for NGGDPP Grant G15AP00115 in FY2015.Context
Ohio Historical Society curator checking out mastodon bones found at Glady Creek. Taken in Champaign County, Ohio.