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

Get our free mobile app

Mastodon, Elephant, or Wolly Mammoth?

Field Museum Library/Getty Images
Field Museum Library/Getty Images
loading...

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

3D illustration of woolly mammoth skeleton, side view on black background.
Leonello Calvetti/Getty Images
loading...

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

Denver Post via Getty Images
Denver Post via Getty Images
loading...

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.

Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images
Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images
loading...

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

dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
loading...

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.

dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
loading...

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

UP NEXT: Fascinating Bigfoot Reports From Each Michigan County

 

NEXT: 50 Michigan UFO Reports Made in 2020 That Can’t Be Explained Away

More From 107.7 WRKR-FM