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Ch. 10: Elephants Mammoth Mastodon

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372 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
inches of bone, the surface is soaked with thin shellac. When dry this imparts surprising hardness. The surface is then covered with strips of shellacked rice paper, or with strong paper or cloth dipped in plaster of Paris. This sets at once and a fresh surface is exposed and treated in a like manner. The whole is then "cinched" or bound with strips of gunny sack dipped in plaster of Paris. This stony covering is so protective that bones may be shipped in en­tire safety to the laboratory.
The tusks of early mastodons are instantly recognized by a longitudinal band of enamel. This band, about 1 to 2 in. broad in the earlier Nebraska mastodons, began to decrease in width until it was scarcely a quarter of an inch wide in Tetrabelodon willistoni. In Eubelodon morrilli and Mammut americanum it had disappeared altogether. It is said, however, that a bit of enamel still persists as an in­teresting vestige on the tips of the young of living elephants, but this is soon worn off.
In all fossil tusks the structure and decussations are like that of modern ivory. Sometimes the tusks are as pure and white as ivory itself, but do not possess its strength. Due to mineralization, they may be hard, and occasionally dark in colour, though generally gray. In rare instances tusks are silicified. In one instance a portion of a mammoth tusk from Brown County was converted into that variety of mineral known as odontolite, or "bone turquoise." Three beautiful gems were cut from this material.
As compared with living elephants, the early Nebraska mastodons had proportionally longer bodies and necks, but noticeably shorter limbs. Their successors, the mam­moths, had compact, short bodies and necks, and long pillar­like limbs. The most striking difference between our early and late Nebraska elephants lies in the long skulls and jaws of the former and the short skulls and jaws of the latter.
Ch. 10: Elephants Mammoth Mastodon Page of 681 Ch. 10: Elephants Mammoth Mastodon
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