Mastodons and Mammoths

The difference between Mastodons and Mammoths:

  1. Tusks. The mammoth had long curved tusks, reaching up to 4.5 meters in length. The mastodon had shorter tusks, which reached only 2.5 meters.
  2. Teeth. Mastodons and mammoths had the same amount of teeth over their life time, but mastodons had more teeth in their jaw at one time. Mastodons and mammoths also had different food sources, which are reflected in their teeth. Mammoths grazed on grasses, similar to modern cattle, while mastodons ate softer vegetation, such as leaves and twigs.
  3. Size. A mastodon typically stood 2-3 meters tall. They generally had flatter heads than mammoths, and were bulkier. Mammoths typically stood at 4 meters tall.

Mastodons and Mammoths in Southern Ontario

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In the summer of 2009, Brittany Groves, an NSERC co-op student, undertook a research project for the Earth Sciences Museum, to investigate and record the mastodons and mammoths found in southern Ontario. The project involved contacting 190 museums in Ontario, researching historical documents and tracking down known specimens and their current location. The information gathered from the project will be used to create a database of mastodon and mammoth finds to be used for further research and also to create material for public education.

This project stems from the circumstances that started with Shirley Fenton finding a box of unusual objects in her family’s attic, in 2006. Shirley brought these objects to Peter Russell, curator of the Earth Sciences Museum, at the University of Waterloo, who identified them as three mastodon teeth and a lower tusk. When Peter found out the Fenton family home was in Highgate, he suggested a Google search for Highgate mastodon, to see if any other finds would pop up. To their surprise, the most complete mastodon skeleton ever found in Southern Ontario was found in Highgate, and was on display at the North Dakota Heritage Centre in Bismarck, North Dakota. This presented Peter with many more questions on the subject. To read the rest of the Highgate Mastodon story, search for Highgate Mastodon in Google.

To date, 98 mastodon, 32 mammoth and 30 indeterminate proboscidea sites have been recorded in Southern Ontario. The largest concentrations of these are mastodon sites along the north shore of Lake Erie. 

View a map that shows the approximate locations of these finds and what exactly was found at them.

For further information on the sites, please contact the Earth Sciences Museum at earthmuseum@uwaterloo.ca.