[Rockhounds] Megalonyx jeffersonii (state fossils)

[Alan Goldstein]

I certainly wouldn't think of a ground sloth as being a state fossil of WV, 
but why not? It is an impressive vegetarian! (Or maybe vegeterroran  - at 
least to plants.) They are widespread but rare throughout the eastern U.S. 
At least West Virginia has a state fossil that is a single species. 
Kentucky's state fossil is an entire phylum - the brachiopod. It's kind of 
like declaring the tree as the state plant! A paleontologist actually 
suggested Pentremites which was originally called the "Kentucky Astral 
Fossil." But a middle school class convinced the politicians to declare the 
brachiopod instead, so we have more state fossils than anyone else as there 
are hundreds of species between Middle Ordovician and Middle Pennsylvanian 
age found within our borders.

The first fossils noted within the boundaries of Kentucky territory (late 
1600's to early 1700's) would have been the various large vertebrates at Big 
Bone Lick (mammoth, mastodon, bison, ground sloth, etc.) and the corals at 
the Falls of the Ohio. Thomas Jefferson ended up with a fair amount of 
material from Big Bone Lick. The collection was rediscovered in the bowels 
of the University of Virginia just a few years ago. Some of it was dug by 
William Clark (of the Lewis & Clark fame) a year or two after the expedition 
ended. Jefferson never went west of the Appalachian Mountains in his life, 
so all of the collecting was done vicariously through acquaintances.

To the best of my knowledge, no effort has been made to get an Indiana state 
fossil. The mammoth or mastodon would be a good vertebrate because they are 
found through the state. Taxocrinus would be a good invertebrate.

Alan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <betdav97 at aol.com>
To: <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 9:54 PM
Subject: [Rockhounds] Megalonyx jeffersonii


>
>
> Megalonyx jeffersonii is now the official State Fossil of West Virginia. 
> Here is
> the link to the article, the paper also got my last name spelled wrong. Oh 
> well.
> Dave
>
> http://dailymail.com/News/statenews/200803140259
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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