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Late_Builder6990

Ice Age Indiana

Extinct and Extant

I'm working on a lesson plan for Megalonyx; specifically Jefferson's ground sloth.

When I bring up paleoecology, I selected the one state where Manny, Sid, & Diego can all be found: Indiana. I have compiled a list of animals from that state and need feedback.

Key:

  1. Italics & Bold = Extinct
  2. Normal = Extant
  3. Herbivores: 19
    1. Columbian mammoth- Falconer, 1857. Classification: Elephantid. Size: 4 meters long (+ tusks), 4 meters tall, & 10 tons.
    2. American mastodon- Kerr, 1792. Classification: Mastodon. Size: 4.5 meters long, 3 meters tall, & 6.6 tons.
    3. Woolly mammoth- Blumenbach, 1799. Classification: Elephantid. Size: 3 meters long, 3.4 meters tall, & 4 tons.
    4. Ancient bison- Leidy, 1852. Classification: Bovid. Size: 4.5 meters long, 2.2 meters tall, & 1.7 tons.
    5. Jefferson’s ground sloth- Desmarest, 1822. Classification: Megalonychid. Size: 3 meters long, 1.4 meters tall, & 1.1 tons.
    6. Stag-moose- Lydekker, 1898. Classification: Capreolinae. Size: 2.5 meters long, 1.8 meters tall, & 1,543lbs.
    7. Eastern moose. Classification: Capreolinae. Size: 3 meters long, 2 meters tall, & 1,398lbs.
    8. Muskox. Classification: Ovibovini. Size: 1.5 meters tall, 2.5 meters long, & 1,102lbs.
    9. Eastern elk- Erxleben, 1777. Classification: Cervid. Size: 2.4 meters long, 1.5 meters tall, & 1,000lbs.
    10. Harlan’s muskox- Harland, 1825. Classification: Ovibovini. Size: 2.3 meters long, 1.5 meters tall, & 934lbs.
    11. Scott’s horse- Gidley, 1900. Classification: Equid. Size: 2.2 meters long, 1.4 meters tall, & 595lbs.
    12. Vero tapir- Sellards, 1918. Classification: Tapirid. Size: 2.5 meters long, 1 meter tall, & 510lbs.
    13. Giant beaver- Foster, 1839. Classification: Castorid. Size: 2.5 meters long, 2.9 feet tall, & 220lbs.
    14. White-tailed deer. Classification: Cervid. Size: 2.2 meters long, 3.9 feet tall, & 150lbs.
    15. Groundhog. Classification: Sciurid. Size: 2.2 feet long & 13lbs.
    16. Plains pocket gopher. Classification: Geomyid. Size: 13.7 inches long & 16.6 oz.
    17. Eastern woodrat. Classification: Neotominae. Size: 8.3 inches long & 8.6 oz.
    18. Prairie vole. Classification: Arvicolinae. Size: 7 inches long & 70 grams.
    19. Southern bog lemming. Classification: Arvicolinae. Size: 6 inches long & 35 grams.
  4. Carnivores: 7
    1. American lion- Leidy, 1853. Classification: Pantherine. Size: 2.5 meters long, 1.2 meters tall, & 770lbs.
    2. Smilodon fatalis- Leidy, 1869. Classification: Smilodont. Size: 2.2 meters long, 1.1 meters tall, & 660lbs.
    3. Pleistocene North American Jaguar. Classification: Pantherine. Size: 1.8 meters long, 2.9 feet tall, & 418lbs.
    4. Eastern cougar- Kerr, 1892. Classification: Felinae. Size: 2.7 meters long, 2.5 feet tall, & 225lbs.
    5. Dire wolf- Leidy, 1858. Classification: Canid. Size: 1.6 meters long, 2.7 feet tall, & 150lbs.
    6. Eastern wolf. Classification: Canid. Size: 1.6 meters long, 3 feet tall, & 67lbs.
    7. Bobcat. Classification: Feline. Size: 1 meter long, 2 feet tall, & 21lbs.
  5. Omnivores: 9
    1. Giant short-faced bear- Cope, 1879. Classification: Tremarctine. Size: 2.9 meters long, 1.6 meters tall(all fours)/ 3 meters tall(upright), & 1,800lbs.
    2. Black bear. Classification: Ursid. Size: 2 meters long, 1 meter tall (all fours)/2.1 meters tall (upright), & 551lbs.
    3. Long-nosed peccary- Leidy, 1868. Classification: Tayassuid. Size: 1.4 meters long, 2.4 feet tall, & 154lbs.
    4. Flat-headed peccary- Leconte, 1848. Classification: Tayassuid. Size: 1.1 meter long, 2.4 feet tall, & 66lbs.
    5. Ice Age coyote- Merriam, 1910. Classification: Canid. Size: 1.5 meters long & 46lbs.
    6. Gray fox. Classification: Vulpini. Size: 3.6 feet long & 15.4lbs.
    7. Striped skunk. Classification: Mephitid. Size: 2.5 feet long & 9.9lbs.
    8. Eastern spotted skunk. Classification: Mephitid. Size: 2.2 feet long & 1.5lbs.
    9. White-footed mouse. Classification: Neotominae. Size: 7.7 inches long & 30 grams.
  6. Insectivores: 1

    1. Hairy-tailed mole. Classification: Scalopini. Size: 5.9 inches long & 55 grams.

For some clarification on two animals.

The Eastern cougar is based on Pleistocene populations

The size of the Short-faced bear is 'smaller' than what most people expect based on region. Think about it. In brown bears, those on the coast have more access to an ideal source of protein: salmon; as a result, they can be very big. In contrast, grizzly bears are smaller because they're landlocked. The same applies for the Short-faced bear. Those in Beringia were likely larger because on the Mammoth steppe, there's not many plants available that the herbivores haven't monopolized and so ate more meat. Meanwhile in say LA Brea, they had cavities which came from eating sugary food like honey & berries.

Posted Dec 7, 2025, 10:56 PM UTC

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