Have you followed the story of the Mammoth bones found in Chelsea? They have been donated to the University of Michigan and will be on display at the Museum of Natural History. The new exhibit featuring the bones will be open beginning in November. Get the details below:
“Chelsea” Mammoth Exhibit Opens November 5 at U-M Museum of Natural History
Ann Arbor, Mich. (September 15, 2016) – The mammoth remains found near Chelsea, Michigan, last fall will be on display at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History (UMMNH) beginning Saturday, November 5, 2016.
The Bristle Mammoth (pronounced BRIS-lee) is named for James and Melody Bristle, the farming family who found the remains on their property and donated them to the university.
“This rare Michigan discovery generated quite a bit of excitement within the community,” said Amy Harris, Director of the Museum, “so we are expecting this exhibit to be very popular.” The Museum has extended hours for the opening weekend: Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Visitors will be able to touch some of the Bristle Mammoth’s real bones, see some of the evidence for human activity at this site (such as the removal of edible tissues from parts of the carcass), and explore how the Bristle Mammoth’s bones, teeth and tusks will help scientists understand how these animals lived and why they went extinct.
The opening weekend will include special programs, donor events and hands-on activities to celebrate the new exhibit.
On Friday evening, following an exhibit donor preview reception, the director of the U-M Museum of Paleontology, Prof. Daniel C. Fisher, will give a public lecture about the excavation of the Bristle Mammoth and what early research has revealed about it. The Bristle Mammoth public lecture will take place on Friday, November 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the U-M Chemistry Building, Room 1800. The exhibit preview reception is open to anyone who makes a donation to the Bristle Mammoth Exhibit Fund by October 31.
Additionally, on Sunday, November 6, University of Michigan scientists will be stationed throughout the Museum with unique interactive activities focusing on their own current work as part of UMMNH’s Scientist Spotlight program.
The Bristle Mammoth exhibit will be on display from November 5, 2016 to January 15, 2018, when it will be moved to the Museum’s new location which will open in 2019 in the U-M Biological Science Building. The Museum and all public mammoth-related events are free.
