Indiana already has an official state bird, flower, and tree, but it could soon have an official state fossil. Legislation by State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) calls on lawmakers to designate the mastodon as Indiana’s official state fossil. The mastodon, an ancient relative of the elephant, roamed North and Central America before going extinct about 10,000 years ago. Frye says the remains of about 300 mammoths and mastodons have been found in Indiana. Mastodon fossils have been discovered in almost all of Indiana’s 92 counties, primarily in central and northern Indiana. Frye’s bill has been referred to the Committee on Government and Regulatory Reform.
