The legacy of the amazing and cool (no pun intended) Ice Age and its history here in Minnesota is about more than the geologic features around us. There were also megafauna, big mammals now extinct, that lived in the state.
Last fall my school took students on an educational riverboat ride on the Mississippi River sponsored by the National Park Service. The students were thrilled to see up close, bald eagles, a fox, a pair of red tail hawks soaring in unison and a family of river otters splashing and playing in the water. There really is a special magic in seeing wildlife.
Let’s extend that magic and think about Ice Age megafauna. Although Minnesota was largely covered in ice, there were incredible animals living here. Recently a fossil from a Saber Tooth Cat dated to 22,250 years ago was discovered in a cave in southeastern Minnesota. Some species of this critter could weigh up to 1,000 pounds. Think for a moment what it would be like to be an Ice Age human encountering the animal seen below. No wonder we humans had to work together in order to survive!
Or, how about the Giant Beaver. The Giant Beaver could measure 8 feet long and weigh 200 pounds. I wonder if Giant Beavers built giant beaver dams. I’ve seen beaver dams in northern Minnesota 100 yards long. How big were the works of these animals?
Mastodon and Mammoth fossils have also been found in Minnesota. That these massive, hairy, elephant-like animals once lived in our state, only adds to the fun and wow! factor of how amazing our natural history is.
Everyone loves going to the zoo and seeing the amazing animals of our planet. With just a little imagination we can be just as fascinated at the megafauna that once roamed Minnesota. Read more about Ice Age Megafauna in this article from the Minnesota DNR Conservation Volunteer magazine.