American Bison Fossil From Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia Origin:
Big Bone Lick, Kentucky Dimensions: 12.7 x 40.6 x 17.8 (5 x 16 x
7 in.) Historical Notes: Inspired by Jefferson's presentation of
the Megalonyx bones, the American Philosophical Society formed a
committee, headed by Jefferson with Charles Willson Peale and
Dr. Caspar Wistar as members, whose mission was "to collect
information respecting the past and present state of this
country." In a circular letter sent out by the committee in 1798
to "lovers of science," the first item on a list of priorities
was "to procure one or more entire skeletons of the Mammoth, so
called, and of such other unknown animals as either have been,
or hereafter may be discovered n America." The Great Salt Lick
on the Ohio, known as Big Bone Lick, was a rich site for fossil
finds. Jefferson probably knew Big Bone Lick as early as 1766
when he met Dr. John Morgan in Philadelphia who had collected
"mammoth" (now known as mastodon) specimens from it. He also
described the anc