Why are Columbian Mammoths crossing Highway 99 in Merced? Find out more here.

Motorists on Highway 99 might be doing a double take, wondering what’s crossing the overpasses near Plainsburg and Le Grand SR-99. They resemble elephants, but they’re actually Columbian Mammoths said to have gone extinct 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.

So why are these ancestors of the elephant crossing Highway 99? Well back in 2012 during the construction of the Plainsburg and Arboleda Highway, Caltrans discovered nearly 2,000 ice-age fossils. Fossils belonging to some extinct animals such as the Giant Ground Sloth, the Western Camel, horses, birds, rabbits, and the Columbian Mammoth.

To honor these findings, David Ewing of the Caltrans District 6 Environmental Division designed the Columbian Mammoth silhouettes, which were installed back in April.

A herd of 14 mammoths can be seen heading east on the Le Grand overpass and 12 lumbering westward on the Plainsburg overpass.

Caltrans said the project is a way to generate public awareness and curiosity, as well as educate the public about the associated paleontological discovery that is a notable part of California’s rich natural history.

During the finding of these fossils UC Merced’s former dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Mark Aldenderfer, was called in to curate the fossils.

UC Merced received a whole collection of different creatures. The most notable were adult and juvenile Columbian Mammoth skulls and tusks.

“Caltrans was very, very active in helping us do this. That is, the company that excavated the material made it possible for us to obtain the fossils. Caltrans then was extremely good and very, very helpful in getting the material here,” Aldenderfer said.

Those interested in seeing these mammoth fossils can make a trip out to UC Merced’s library where they are located on the second floor.

Paleontologist Courtney Richards, who was onsite during the 2012 discovery, said Columbian Mammoths lived in a much cooler and wetter environment like marshland and savannah-type habitats. Very different from the excessive heat wave warnings we are experiencing today.

They were approximately 13-14 feet tall and weighed around 10 tons (20,000 lbs), said Richards.

Not to be confused with the Woolly Mammoth, the Columbian Mammoth had less fur according to the National Park Service.

The closest living relative of the Columbian Mammoth are elephants, specifically Asian elephants, said Richards.

If you are interested in seeing how you stack up against a Columbian Mammoth you can visit the Madera Fossil Discovery Center and see a full size replica of the animal. They are open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It really was a very collaborative effort between the paleontologists and Caltrans and the contractor on sight, to make sure that these fossils were collected and preserved,” Richards said. “I hope that it sparks some imagination about what life was like back in the Pleistocene as they are going and driving down the road. That this new installation will give them a little pause to think about what life used to be there.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the silhouettes will be held on Monday, July 15 by Caltrans. It is open to the public and starts at 9 a.m. near the E. Sandy Mush Road. & S. Vista Avenue intersection.

Among the guest speakers will be a fossil discovery paleontologist.

The Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County will host an information/interactive fossil table. There will be project storyboards with original photos. Caltrans mascot Safety Sam will also be in attendance.

(This story was updated to correctly link the mammoth to Asian elephants).