Ask a Naturalist

Do you ponder one of these questions about the American mastodon?

• When was the mastodon here?
• Mastodon? Or mammoth? What's the difference?
• Is the modern elephant an ancestor of the mastodon?
• Was this the last mastodon to have lived in our area?
• What were the climate and vegetation like when this mastodon lived in our area?

If you wonder, join Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Naturalist Jack MacRae at the camp dig site as he answers some of the most frequently-asked-questions about the mastodon and the forest preserve find.

Ask Naturalist MacRae, and watch one of the following videos.

When was the mastodon here?

Mastodon? Or mammoth? What's the difference?

Is the modern elephant an ancestor of the mastodon?

Was this the last mastodon to have lived in our area?

What were the climate and vegetation like when
this mastodon lived in our area?

Having difficulty viewing our videos? See our Video Help Page.

Street Address: 3 S 580 Naperville Road, Wheaton, IL 60187-8761
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5000, Wheaton, IL 60189-5000
email: forest@dupageforest.com (630) 933-7200 Fax: (630) 933-7204 TTY: (800) 526-0857