{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-peters-bipartisan-legislation-to-designate-the-mastodon-as-americas-national-fossil", "Senate Unanimously Passes Peters\u2019 Bipartisan Legislation to Designate the Mastodon as America\u2019s National Fossil", "2024-08-05", "2024", "2024-08", "Democrat", "Senate", "MI", "Gary C. Peters", "P000595", "www.peters.senate.gov", "garypeters", "https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "DETROIT, MI \u2013 Bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) to designate the Mastodon as the United States\u2019 first-ever national fossil has unanimously passed the Senate. Currently, nearly every state has a designated state fossil \u2013 including Michigan \u2013 which named the Mastodon as its state fossil in 2002. The National Fossil Act aims to highlight the Mastodon\u2019s importance to American natural history and celebrate discoveries of Mastodon fossils throughout Michigan and the country. Peters introduced this bipartisan legislation with U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN).\n\n\u201cMichigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,\u201d said Senator Peters. \u201cThe Mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan\u2019s and our nation\u2019s history. By establishing the Mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.\u201d\n\nThe Mastodon lived more than 13,000 years ago, predominantly in an area that would eventually become the United States of America. Standing at over 10 feet tall, weighing more than 11 tons, and carrying a pair of 16-foot-long tusks, the Mastodon bears resemblance to its distant cousin, the Mammoth. Mastodon fossils are uniquely exclusive to North and Central America and its bones have been unearthed in every state across the continental U.S.\n\nMastodon fossils have been found in more than 250 locations across Michigan. One of the most complete Mastodon skeletons ever found was discovered near Owosso, Michigan, and is currently displayed at the University of Michigan\u2019s Museum of Natural History. The longest and most intact trail of Mastodon footprints ever uncovered, about 30 footprints, were also detected in Michigan near Ann Arbor. Most recently in 2022, a historic discovery was made in Kent County when a juvenile Mastodon skeleton was found roughly 75-80 percent intact. The remains are now on display at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.\n\nMichigan designated the Mastodon as its state fossil after the idea was proposed by a Washtenaw Community College geology professor. The professor solicited support from K-12 students and teachers throughout the state, collecting thousands of petition signatures in support of the designation and staging a pro-Mastodon rally at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:36:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.peters.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-unanimously-passes-peters-bipartisan-legislation-to-designate-the-mastodon-as-americas-national-fossil"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9170332923531532, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}