A new bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) carries plenty of teeth, as well as tusks.
Alongside Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Peters introduced a bill to make the mastodon — a distant cousin of the mammoth — the country’s national fossil.
While both mammoths and mastodons resemble modern elephants, the mastodon is distinguished by the cone-shaped bumps on its teeth that helped give the beast its name.
According to Peter’s office, nearly every state has its own state fossil, with Michigan naming the mastodon as its state fossil in 2002.
Fossils from mastodons — which went extinct between 10,000 and 13,000 years ago — have been found across North and Central America, ranging from Alaska to Central Mexico.
Mastodon fossils have been found in more than 250 locations across Michigan, with one of the most complete mastodon skeletons being found in Owosso. Researchers also found one of the longest and most well-preserved sets of mastodon footprints near Saline.
A skeleton of a juvenile mastodon was also uncovered 30 miles north of Grand Rapids in 2022. The skeleton, which is roughly 80% intact, is on display at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
“Michigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,” Peters said. “The mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan’s and our nation’s history. By establishing the mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.”