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All the United States Tennessee Nashville Bridgestone Arena Smilodon Bones
AO Edited

Bridgestone Arena Smilodon Bones

These fossilized remains of an ancient saber-toothed cat inspired the mascot of Nashville's NHL team.

Nashville, Tennessee

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Display containing the fossil bones   Magcargoman / Atlas Obscura User
Fossils include bones (and a skull cast) of Smilodon, rodents, shrews, frogs, snakes, deer, raccoons, bobcats, and a horse.   Magcargoman / Atlas Obscura User
Some limb bones of Smilodon. The radius and ulna were found in articulation.   Magcargoman / Atlas Obscura User
Teeth of Smilodon including a carnassial and the famous saber.   Magcargoman / Atlas Obscura User
2016 NHL All-Star Game   Brandon Zeman
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About

During the construction of the First American National Bank building in downtown Nashville in 1971, a small cave containing a collection of bones was unearthed. These included the remains of a Woodland Period human burial, rodents, deer, amphibians, horses, and the partial skeleton of the sabertoothed "tiger," from the genus Smilodon. Radiocarbon dating of this specimen places it at the end of the Pleistocene, 9410+/-155 B.P. and 10,035+/-650 B.P. This would make it one of the most recent occurrences of Smilodon in the fossil record.

The Southeastern Indian Antiquities Survey and Vanderbilt University excavated the remaining portion of the cave, recovering elements of the limbs, feet, ribs, and skull (including the emblematic saber-like canine). These remains as well as a selection of other fauna from the cave were displayed in the lobby of the First American National Bank Building until the company's move in 2013. 

In 1997 these Smilodon remains served as the inspiration for the logo of the Nashville Predators hockey team and their mascot Gnash. In 2016, the remains were given a new permanent home at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, home of the NHL Nashville Predators.

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Fossils Prehistoric

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The display is on the first floor of the arena in the section label "Fan Information". Admission to an event (Predators game, concert, etc.) is likely required.

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SEANETTA

  • SEANETTA

Published

April 22, 2022

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Bridgestone Arena Smilodon Bones
501 Broadway
Nashville, Tennessee, 37203
United States
36.159174, -86.778496
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