Project Description

(23 million years ago — Present Day) — Quaternary Mascot: Mammoth — During the latter half of the Cenozoic Era, life became more familiar to modern eyes. Elephants evolved. Mammoth is the popular name for a family of extinct elephantines known as proboscideans, named for their size. The Quaternary Period saw the first humans appear. Present Day Mascots: Homo sapiens O.C. Marsh & E.D. Cope — No, these are not two hobos fighting by the back door. The Human Era is represented by two squabbling Nineteenth Century paleontologists, who famously launched the Bone Wars with their fierce scientific rivalry. It was agents of Marsh and Cope who dug up the first Jurassic giant dinosaurs in Colorado. They introduced the world to many famous prehistoric creatures, showing people how truly colossal life grew during the Mesozoic. Here Marsh and Cope tussle over an academic paper, each struggling to enter the building first.