American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History. Hall of Early Mammals.; American Museum of Natural History. Paleocene Hall.; Third Fossil Hall; Third Fossil Hall -- Age of Mammals; Paleocene Hall; Giant Sloth Hall; Hall of the Giant Sloth; Hall of Early Mammals; Early Mammals; Hall of Early Fossil Mammals
birth: 1953
death: 1991
Permanent exhibition. Opened approximately 1953 and closed 1990-1991. Located on Floor 1, Section 5. The Hall of Early Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History focused on the origins of mammals and their evolution from the Mesozoic to Cenozoic periods and exhibited primitive fossil mammals (1, 1953, p. 64; 1, 1962, p. 37). The hall was revised as part of the Museum's ten-year exhibition program to update and create halls, reopening in May of 1965 (2, 1964/65, p. 3-4). Curators for the hall included Bobb Schaeffer and Mary B. Patsuris (2, 1957/58, p. 37-38).
The Hall of Early Mammals was known also the Giant Sloth or Paleocene Hall and many specimens were moved here from the Hall of Late Mammals. The Hall of Early Mammals exhibited extinct primitive mammals such as Diprotodon, Phobosuchus, Meniscotherium, Ectoconus, Phenacodus, Coryphodon, Uintatherium, Orycteropus, Macrauchenia, Toxodon, Scarritta, Hapaclops, Megalocnus, Glyptodon, Panochthus, Oxyaena, Deltatheridium, and Tarsius, as well as other fossil animals such as fish and a Pleistocene tortoise from India. A highlight of the hall was a group of giant ground sloths from South America that included Mylodon and Lestodon (1, 1953, p. 64-67; 1, 1956, p. 69). Dioramas presented Eocene and Paleocene lake life from Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah, exhibits on the evolution of primates, bats, and insectivores. Exhibits on fossilization, fossil collecting, preparation, and interpretation were on view and visitors could examine the evolution of non-dinosaur reptiles, and the skull and restoration of Andrewsaurchus (1, 1962, p. 37; 3, 1972, p. 66).
In the early 1990s the Halls of Early and Late Mammals were closed to make way for the Hall of Primitive Mammals and the Paul and Irma Milstein Hall of Advanced Mammals (2, 1990/91, p. 1). Many of the same fossil specimens from the previous halls can be viewed in the current halls.