Mammoths Stampede Into Sports… As Mascots!
5:30 minutes
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When the original “Jurassic Park” was released in 1993, it set off an explosion of dino-mania in popular culture. Toys, theme park rides, even a basketball team! The Toronto Raptors took their name and mascot from the film’s velociraptors.
Now, it seems another prehistoric animal might be having its “mammoth moment.” With the help of the HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” a minor league baseball team in Pennsylvania rebranded themselves the Erie Moon Mammoths. That comes just a few months after the Utah NHL franchise renamed itself the Utah Mammoth as a nod to that state’s paleontological past.
So, why are mammoths back? And do they really have what it takes to be a successful team mascot? Paleontologist Advait Jukar joins Host Flora Lichtman to weigh in.
Further Reading
- Watch “Last Week Tonight” introduce the Moon Mammoth mascot via Youtube.
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Segment Guests
Advait Jukar
Dr. Advait Jukar is the assistant Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Segment Transcript
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Meet the Producers and Host
About Dee Peterschmidt
Dee Peterschmidt is a producer, host of the podcast Universe of Art, and composes music for Science Friday’s podcasts. Their D&D character is a clumsy bard named Chip Chap Chopman.
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.