Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Mammut americanum (American mastodon)

Mammalia - Proboscidea - Mammutidae

Taxonomy
Elephas americanus was named by Kerr (1792) [also said to be 1791 sometimes incorrectly attributed to Blumenbach 1799].

It was recombined as Mastodon americanus by Cuvier (1817), Leidy (1868), Leidy (1873), Allen (1895) and Osborn (1942); it was recombined as Mammut americanum by Blumenbach (1799), Hay (1902), Simpson (1945), Wilson (1967), Lundelius (1972), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Madden (1980), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Miller (1987), Abraczinskas (1993), Kelly (1994), Shoshani and Tassy (1996), Hulbert and Pratt (1998), Lambert and Shoshani (1998), Christiansen (2007) and Eshelman et al. (2018).

Sister species lacking formal opinion data

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1792Elephas americanus Kerr
1797Mammut ohioticum Blumenbach
1799Mammut americanum Blumenbach
1817Mastodon americanus Cuvier
1817Mastodon giganteum Cuvier
1825Tapirus mastodontoides Harlan
1830Tetracaulodon mastodontoideum Godman
1835Tapirus mastodontoides Harlan
1842Elephas americanus De Kay
1850Mastodon giganteus Mantell p. 167
1852Mastodon giganteus Warren p. 9
1857Mastodon ohioticum Leidy p. 89
1858Elephas imperator Leidy
1858Elephas texianus Owen
1860Elephas americanus Leidy p. 108
1860Mastodon ohioticus Leidy p. 108
1868Mastodon americanus Leidy p. 175
1873Mastodon americanus Leidy p. 229
1873Elephas americanus Leidy p. 238
1875Elephas americanus Cope p. 51
1875Trilophodon ohioticus Cope p. 51
1877Elephas americanus Leidy p. 212
1895Mastodon americanus Allen p. 187
1902Mammut americanum Hay p. 708
1914Mammut progenium Hay
1942Mastodon americanus Osborn
1942Mastodon progenius Osborn
1944Pliomastodon adamsi Hibbard
1945Mammut americanum Simpson
1949Mammut adamsi Hibbard and Riggs
1966Mammut americanus Slaughter p. 79
1967Mammut americanum Wilson p. 213
1972Mammut americanum Lundelius, Jr.
1980Mammut americanum Kurten and Anderson p. 344
1980Mammut americanum Madden
1981Mammut americanum Thurmond and Jones p. 180
1987Mammut americanum Miller p. 171
1987Pliomastodon adamsi Tedford et al.
1993Mammut americanum Abraczinskas p. 345
1994Mammut americanum Kelly
1996Mammut americanum Shoshani and Tassy
1998Mammut americanum Hulbert, Jr. and Pratt
1998Mammut americanum Lambert and Shoshani
2007Mammut americanum Christiansen p. 425
2018Mammut americanum Eshelman et al. p. 10

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
RankNameAuthor
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
AfrotheriaStanhope et al. 1998
Tethytheria
orderProboscidea()
suborderElephantiformesTassy 1988
ElephantimorphaTassy and Shoshani 1997
MammutidaTassy and Shoshani 1997
familyMammutidaeHay 1922
genusMammutBlumenbach 1799
speciesamericanum(Kerr 1792)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Mammut americanum Kerr 1792 [American mastodon]
show all | hide all
Invalid names: Elephas americanus De Kay 1842 [synonym], Mammut ohioticum Blumenbach 1797 [synonym], Mammut progenium Hay 1914 [synonym], Mastodon giganteum Cuvier 1817 [synonym], Pliomastodon adamsi Hibbard 1944 [synonym], Tapirus mastodontoides Harlan 1825 [synonym], Tetracaulodon mastodontoideum Godman 1830 [synonym]
show all | hide all
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Body mass estimates
estimateequationreference
 8.02 tons Mammalia femur circumferenceAnderson et al. 1985
 8.25 tons Mammalia humerus circumferenceAnderson et al. 1985
mean: 8.13 tons
Measurements
partNmeanminimummaximummedians.d.
femur circumference3390.0315.0463.6406.474.9
fibula circumference1234.0----
humerus circumference2455.6419.1495.3457.253.9
tibia circumference3352.3279.4440.0355.680.3
ulna circumference3331.1304.8381.0312.541.9

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingg
Diet: browserg
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-08-31 15:16:05
Modified: 2009-01-04 12:24:42
Source: g = genus, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Ji et al. 2002, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Lambert and Shoshani 1998, Lillegraven 1979

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Hemphillian to the top of the Holocene or 10.30000 to 0.00000 Ma

Collections (368 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (North Carolina) Mastodon giganteus (51592)
Late/Upper Hemphillian - Blancan10.3 - 1.8USA (Kansas) Pliomastodon adamsi (231903)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Washington) Mammut americanum (20063)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Nevada) Mammut americanum (20001)
Blancan4.9 - 1.8USA (Kansas) Mammut adamsi (19932) Pliomastodon adamsi (19923)
Gelasian2.588 - 1.806USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (20384)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Virginia) Mammut americanum (104673 108251)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (New York) Mammut americanum (222822 222829) Mastodon americanus (222823 222824 222825 222826 222827 222828 222830 222831 222832 222833 222845 222847 222848 222849 222850 222852) Mastodon sp. (222846)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Maryland) Elephas americanus (127111)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (South Carolina) Mammut americanum (65405)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (227368)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (West Virginia) Mammut americanum (123871 124388 124709 126593)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Alabama) Mammut americanum (82056 82057)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Pennsylvania) Mastodon giganteus (123965)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Georgia) Mammut americanum (77596 96899 152596)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Kansas) Mammut americanum (75053) Mastodon americanus (83056)
Pleistocene (glacial)2.588 - 0.0117Mexico (Puebla) Mammut americanum (230672)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Tennessee) Mammut americanum (74236 74239 74241 74243 74246)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (156789) Mastodon americanus, Elephas imperator (85137) Mastodon sp. (85140)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Michigan) Mammut americanum (63412 63413 63414)
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117USA (Minnesota) Mastodon americanus (93507 93516)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Montana) Mammut americanum (20310)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Kansas) Mammut americanus (20377)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Iowa) Mammut americanum (20556)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Maryland) Mammut americanum (20302)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (20288)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Pennsylvania) Mammut americanum (20354 20479)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Washington) Mammut americanum (20307)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3Mexico (Aguascalientes) Mammut americanus (20283)
Irvingtonian1.8 - 0.3USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (20308 20400 20478 20520 58089)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129USA (Arizona) Mammut americanum (190076)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (Maryland) Mammut americanum (195939)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (225289)
Rancholabrean0.3 - 0.012USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (20491)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Yukon) Mammut americanum (20626)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (North Carolina) Mammut americanum (108432 108433)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Northwest Territories) Mammut americanum (20610)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Georgia) Mammut americanum (20591 20604 20613)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (154921) Mastodon americanus (154771)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Indiana) Mammut americanum (193842)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (20603)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Nova Scotia) Mammut americanum (20583)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Missouri) Mammut americanum (93676)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Kansas) Mammut americanum (83069)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Mexico (Hidalgo) Mammut americanum (190114 190115 190116)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (154722)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Virginia) Mammut americanum (103358 104032 104039 104042 104045 104665 104674 104697 104710 108429 108430 108431)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Mammut americanus (93103)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (New Jersey) Mammut americanum (107908 107994 108275 108416 108417 108418 108419 108420 108421 108422 108423 108424 108425 108426 108427 108428 108434)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Ontario) Mammut americanum (20618)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Utah) Mammut americanum (126595)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Yukon) Mammut americanum (73691)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Washington) Mammut americanum (93677)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117Canada (New Brunswick) Mammut americanum (20601)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (93142)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Michigan) Mammut americanum (63272 63273)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Idaho) Mammut americanum (20612)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Massachusetts) Mammut americanum (108274)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Indiana) Mammut americanum (74142)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Illinois) Mammut americanum (93486)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (West Virginia) Mammut americanum (124950)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Ontario) Mammut americanum (216261)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (New Mexico) Mastodon americanus (93246)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (South Carolina) Mammut americanum (80234) Mastodon americanus (101395 101396)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Michigan) Mammut americanum (63150 63216 63219 63223 63232 63233 63234 63235 63237 63238 63239 63241 63243 63244 63245 63246 63247 63248 63249 63250 63252 63253 63254 63255 63256 63257 63258 63259 63260 63261 63262 63263 63264 63265 63266 63267 63268 63269 63270 63271 63274 63275 63395 63397 63404 63405 63406 63410 63411 63415 63416 63417 63418 63419 63420 63421 63449 63450 63451 63452 63453 63454 63456 63457 63458 63459 63461 63462 63463 63464 63479 63480 63481 63482 63484 63485 63486 63487 63488 63489 63490 63491 63492 63493 63494 63495 63496 63497 63498 63499 63500 63501 63502 63503 63504 63505 63506 63554 63555 63556 63557 63572 63573 63574 63575 63576 63577 63578 63579 63580 63581 63582 63583 63584 63585 63586 63587 63589 63590 63591 63592 63593 63594 63595 63596 63597 63598 63599 63600 63601 63602 63603 63604 63605 63606 63607 63608 63609 63610 63611 63612 63613 63614 63615 63616 63617 63618 63619 63620 63621 63622 63623 63624 63626 63627 63628 63629 63630 63631 63632 63633 63634 63635 63636 63637 63638 63639 63640 63641 63642 63643 63644 63645 63646 63647 63648 63649 63650 63651 63652 63653 63655 63656 63657 63658 63659 63661 63662 63663 63664 63665 63666 63668 63669 63670 63671 63672 63705 63706 63707 200629 200637)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (20638 34269 74292 104046 154804 154805 154910) Mastodon americanus (154773)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Mississippi) Mammut americanum (163685)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Oklahoma) Mammut americanum, Elephas imperator (216271)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Pennsylvania) Mammut americanum (104797)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Mammut americanum (79632) Mastodon americanus (85142)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Florida) Mammut americanum (20572 20636 20647 20653)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador) Mammut americanum (73684)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Tennessee) Mammut americanum (101393)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Arkansas) Mammut americanum (216259)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (Ohio) Mammut sp. (101394)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0USA (Virginia) Mammut americanum (104701)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0USA (New Mexico) Mastodon americanus (93377)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene0.129 - 0.0USA (Tennessee) Mammut americanum (63429)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0USA (Virginia) Mammut americanum (104702)