Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age
March 5, 2010 through September 6, 2010
Journey back through the Ice Age to view some of Earth's largest and most awe-inspiring mammals in The Field Museum exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age. Monumental video installations, hands-on interactive displays, life-sized models, fossil tusks and skulls—and even touchable teeth— bring these ancient giants back to life.
You'll discover the difference between mammoths—furry beasts weighing as much as eight tons, bearing tusks up to 16 feet long—and mastodons, their shorter, stockier cousins. Masters of the Ice Age, mammoths and mastodons survived for millions of years, living in climates ranging from the temperate woodlands of North America and Europe to the wind-swept steppes of Asia.
You'll also meet the star of the exhibition: a 42,000-year-old intact baby mammoth named Lyuba (pronounced Lee-OO-bah). Discovered in 2007 by a Siberian reindeer herder and his sons, Lyuba (named after the herder's wife) is by far the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever discovered. She comes to the exhibition from Yamal, Russia, where she’s part of the permanent collections at the Shemanovskiy Museum and Exhibition Center.
The exhibition, developed by The Field Museum, marks the first display of the baby mammoth in the United States and includes not only Lyuba's preserved body, but also scientific evidence shedding new light on mammoth biology. You'll discover how Lyuba enhances our understanding of the evolution of mammoths and their relatives: modern-day elephants, which are facing their own struggle for survival today.
Also showcased are rare and evocative objects and images such as spear points, cave paintings, and other prehistoric art that bring to life how humans interacted with mammoths and mastodons. The 7,500-square-foot exhibition looks at the role that human predation, climate change, and other factors may have played in the eventual extinction of these giants.
After its grand opening at The Field Museum, Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age will embark on a four-year tour of ten venues in North America and overseas, so don't miss your chance to meet the creatures that have captured the world's fascination—purchase your tickets and plan your visit today!
Continue to the Exhibition Walkthrough.
Lyuba is on loan from the Shemanovskiy Museum and Exhibition Center (Yamal, Russia).
Education Sponsor: 
