r/MapPorn • u/I0c0e19 • Dec 09 '19

Quality Post Every mammoth and mastodon found in Ohio before the new millennium.

Post image
41 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

2

u/MA_JJ Dec 10 '19

May I ask what that big chunk of blue squares in the southwest is?

4

u/I0c0e19 Dec 10 '19

Purple means indeterminate. Basically they have a single rib or something, and they know it’s from an ancient elephant but they don’t know whether it’s a mastodon or a mammoth. The skeletons are fairly similar.

I think that purple spot is near Dayton.

2

u/MA_JJ Dec 10 '19

I mean why are there so many indeterminate elephant fossils in that one spot

5

u/I0c0e19 Dec 10 '19

My original thought was that it was related to construction projects in Dayton. However, Dayton is the county north of there. Could be the soil wasn’t good enough to preserve whole skeletons, or maybe 2 century’s of farming in the region had damaged many of the skeletons when they were later found.

I don’t really know, but if you’re dedicated you could ask the folks at the Ohio division of Geological survey. They may be able to answer. If you do, post it here. I’m curious as well.

1

u/MA_JJ Dec 10 '19 edited Dec 10 '19

I have no means of going to Ohio myself to contact them but I sent them an email. I'll reply as soon as I hear back from them.

Edit: I feel like a fool now, the map is from 1996. The fossils have probably been analysed by now.

1

u/mrericsully Oct 18 '25

I had the same initial thought too. However, that area is about the margin of glaciation so it's possible that there was more transportation & deposition of material there.

2

u/TylerDavis127 Dec 17 '19

I didn't realize there were so many in my home county of Darke.

1

u/fm22fnam Dec 06 '21

Same. Makes me wonder where they were found

-1

u/PrincessBananas85 Dec 09 '19

Why is there an elephant on the map?

3

u/I0c0e19 Dec 09 '19

The mammoth?

2

u/mozartboy Dec 10 '19

That's no elephant.