Buddy Davis' Cool Critters of the Ice Age 0890518580, 9780890518588

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First Printing: April 2015

Copyright © 2014 by Buddy Davis. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information write: Master Books®, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638. Master Books® is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc. Illustrations by Buddy Davis Interior design by Terry White ISBN 13: 978-0-89051-858-8 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2014958519 Printed in China Please consider requesting that a copy of this volume be purchased by your local library system. For information regarding author interviews, please contact the publicity department at (870) 438-5288.

Hi, I’m Buddy Davis, and I’ll be your tour guide today as we explore some of the cool critters of the Ice Age. This is my sidekick, Harry, the cave bear. Grab your coat, gloves, and some hot chocolate, and let’s go! 3

Before we go and find the critters, let’s talk about how the Ice Age happened. The Flood of Noah’s day covered the whole earth and created the perfect environment for an Ice Age.

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In Genesis 7:11, the Bible tells us that the fountains of the great deep broke open. That means that there were volcanoes in the ocean, which would have warmed the waters.

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At the same time, there were volcanoes on land that shot a lot of ash high into the atmosphere, creating dark clouds that kept sun rays from reaching the land. This would make the land cooler.

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Some scientists believe that the Artic Ocean could have gotten as warm as 80 degrees for a short period of time. Today if you dipped your toes in the Artic Ocean, they would freeze! I know from experience…

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The evaporation, when water became steam, lowered the oceans as much as 300 feet, forming land bridges. Here Harry the cave bear is scouting out the land across the ocean.

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When the land bridge formed, Harry the cave bear decided to travel from Russia to Alaska just like many other critters and even people.

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This is what the land bridge might have looked like between Russia and Alaska during the Ice Age.

Russia Alaska

Land Bridge dark green

As the water cooled, the oceans rose to their present-day height. The land bridge is now covered with water.

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Russia Alaska

Land Bridge dark green

Condensation

Snow

Evaporation

This picture s hows the war mer oceans ca evaporation, w using hich formed c louds and fell snow in the n as orthern and s outhern regio and fell as rain ns in the central regions.

Warm Ocean 11

Snow kept falling and falling, eventually turning into glaciers, large, slow-moving areas of ice. 12

You can see how Harry the cave bear might have experienced the buildup of snow. Brrrrr, just thinking about it makes me thirsty for more hot chocolate.

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No worries! Harry the cave bear hibernated in an ice cave. 14

The entire world was not covered with ice. You can see by the white on the map the areas of the snow and ice. Can you imagine how cold that would be? Just thinking about it makes me shiver! 15

In some of the colder regions of the world today, you can still see some glaciers left over from the Ice Age. Did you know that there are ice worms that live in some glaciers? Cool!

a. lask A re? r in o e l i p c Gla o ex l t l a n nh h fu c nde u e M so m s is e i b h T it n’t d l u Wo

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One of the oldest books in the Bible is Job. The book mentions snow and ice. Some people believe Job may have lived through the Ice Age even though the snow and ice would not have covered where he lived. Check out Job 6:16 and Job 38:22!

Now that we know how the Ice Age happened, let’s go find some of the cool critters who lived during that time.

Please note: Some of these animals have been found frozen, but many are just fossilized bones. No one knows their color or much about their appearance. Some things we have to guess on.

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Strap on your skis and let’s go!

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WOOLLY MAMMOTH 20

Reconstruction of a Woolly Mammoth

Skeleton of a Woolly Mammoth

Woolly Mammoths were about the size of a modernday elephant.

The Woolly Mammoth lived in Asia, Europe, Siberia, and Alaska. Their ears and tails were smaller than modernday elephants. This helped keep them from losing their body heat. All elephants have hair but the Woolly Mammoth had an extra thick and long coat. They had curved tusks that could reach 17 feet in length. 21

GLYPTODON 22

Skeleton of a Glyptodon

The Glyptodon was about the size of a small car weighing up to 2,000 pounds.

This is a fossil of Glyptodon.

The Glyptodon was an armadillo-like mammal that was covered in armor. It also had a dangerous tail full of bone spikes. This could be the original 4 wheel drive. 23

GIANT BISON 24

Skeleton of a Giant Bison

Painting of a Giant Bison

The Giant Bison could reach up to 8 feet tall at the shoulders and could weigh over 4,400 lbs.

The first fossil of the Giant Bison was found in 1803 at Big Bone Lick in Kentucky. It is believed that they would have lived in family groups grazing the Great Plains and browsing in the woodlands of North America. The horns of the Giant Bison measures 84 inches from tip to tip. These large horns would have kept predators away. 25

GIANT BEAVER 26

Painting of a Giant Beaver

The Giant Beaver grew as large as a black bear and could weigh up to 220 pounds.

One of the few skeletons found of the Giant Beaver.

The Giant Beaver lived in North America ranging from Alaska to Florida. Very few fossils were ever found, with the first discovered in 1837 in a peat bog in Ohio. It is the largest beaver ever to exist. Their huge front teeth could be up to 5.9 inches long. 27

CAVE BEAR 28

The Cave Bear could stand over 10 feet tall and could weigh as much as 1,000 pounds. Skeleton of a Cave Bear

The Cave Bear lived in Europe and was first described in 1774. There have been several thousands of fossils of the Cave Bear found. According to the wear on the teeth, the Cave Bear seems to have been primarily a plant eater.

Reconstruction of a Cave Bear

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MUSK OX 30

This modern day Musk Ox looks like its Ice Age ancestors.

Musk Ox can weigh up to 800 pounds and can grow as tall as 5 feet at the shoulder.

Skeleton of a Musk Ox

The Musk Ox is an Arctic mammal noted for its thick coat. Males have a very strong odor for which it gets its name. When under attack, they form a tight circle, and males will rush out at the enemy. 31

IRISH ELK 32

Fossil of the Irish Elk

The Irish Elk could grow to a little over 6 feet tall at the shoulders.

The Irish Elk is the largest deer that ever lived. Its home range was in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Most of the fossil skeletons have been found in Irish bogs. Its antlers grew to over 12 feet in length. Like all deer, the Irish Elk would shed and regrow their antlers each year. They grew the largest set of antlers of any deer. 33

DIRE WOLF 34

The Dire Wolf looked a lot like this modern-day wolf.

The Dire Wolf averaged about 5 feet in length and could weigh up to 174 pounds.

Skeleton of a Dire Wolf

The Dire Wolf was about the size of the Gray Wolf. They were common in North and South America and lived in a variety of habitats. The fossil evidence suggests that they hunted in packs like modern-day wolves. Thousands of fossil remains of the Dire Wolf have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits in California. 35

GIANT GROUND SLOTH 36

The Giant Ground Sloth grew up to 20 feet tall and could weigh up to 6,000 pounds.

Skeletons of Giant Ground Sloths

The Giant Ground Sloth soon found its way to North America after Noah’s Flood. When feeding it would raise up on its back legs and use its powerful claws and arms to bend down the branches. This huge animal was a plant eater and believed to be a gentle giant. Its large size would have scared away most predators. The Giant Ground Sloth would have spent most of its time walking on all fours. It would have been the size of a bison. 37

BALUCHITHERIUM (bal-oo-ki-theory-um)

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Painting of cow and calf

The Baluchitherium stood 16 feet at the shoulders, and the top of its head could reach 26 feet.

The skull of the Baluchitherium was over 4 feet long.

The Baluchitherium is considered the largest land mammal that ever lived. It is believed to be a type of rhinoceros. It was discovered in 1910 in Pakistan. This gigantic hornless rhino-like critter was a plant-eater. How would you like this gigantic beast looking in your third-story window begging for a snack? 39

SABERTOOTH CAT 40

Painting of a Smilodon

Smilodon was from 4 to 5 feet long. They were smaller than tigers and African lions. The canine teeth could grow more than 9 inches long. How would like to brush these teeth?

The best known of the saber-tooth cats was Smilodon. It lived in North America and was thought to be an excellent hunter. There were many types of saber-tooth cats. All saber-tooth cats were designed to open their jaws a lot farther than most of the big cats today. The canine teeth were like sabers, long and curved. 41

TERATORN

(TEAR-uh-torn)

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Artist drawing of Teratorns

This very large extinct bird had a wingspan of 12 feet. I wonder if I could hitch a ride on him.

When soaring, the monster bird probably would have looked like this condor.

Teratorn means “monster bird.” The fossils of this extinct bird have been found in North and South America. Over 100 specimens have been found in the La Brea Tar Pits in California.

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BRONTOTHERIUM (bron-tow-THEE-ree-um)

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Painting of a Brontotherium

Brontotherium stood 8.2 feet at the shoulders and was 16 feet long.

Skeleton of Brontotherium

Fossils of Brontotherium have been found in South Dakota and Nebraska. They have an unusual y-shaped horn on their nose. These animals probably lived in herds and wandered through open woodlands searching for plants. 45

WOOLLY RHINOCEROS 46

Cave paintings of the Woolly Rhinoceros found in Ardeche, France

Skeleton of a Woolly Rhinoceros

The Woolly Rhinoceros would have stood 5 to 6 feet tall and was 10 to 12 feet long.

Woolly Rhinoceros fossils were found in Europe. These critters had huge horns on their snout, with one of them growing over 3 feet long. They had shaggy, thick coats, which helped them withstand the harsh winter conditions. They were plant eaters.

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ANDREWSARCHUS (AN-drew-SAR-cus)

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Painting of a Andrewsarchus

With a skull that is 3 feet long, it is estimated this animal could have stood 5 feet tall or more at the shoulders.

Only the skull of Andrewsarchus has been found. I wouldn’t have wanted to meet this guy after dark…or in the daytime either!

Not much is known about this Ice Age critter. Only the skull was found in 1923 in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. It is believed to be the largest meat-eating land mammal known. It had very large, strong teeth in its skull. Some scientists believe it was hyena-like in its appearance.

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SYNDOCERAS

(Sin-dee-oh-sair-us)

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Pencil drawings of the Syndoceras

Syndoceras grew to be about 5 feet long.

Fossils of this small deer were found in Nebraska. In addition to a pair of cow-like horns, they had a strange y-shaped horn on their nose. They also had tusk-like canine teeth used to root out food. 51

TITANOTYLOPUS

(tie-TAN-oh-TIE-low-pus)

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The skull of Titanotylopus

Titanotylopus was 13 feet long and weighed up to 2,000 pounds. He grew to be 11 and ½ feet tall at the shoulders.

This camel is similar to modern-day camels. Many scientists believe that it even had a hump on its back for fat storage. Fossils of this critter were found in Nebraska. Titanotylopus was taller than most elephants. 53

What happened to the Ice Age critters?

Some died of natural causes such as environmental changes, and some were hunted into extinction. 54

Not all animals from the Ice Age era are extinct, such as Caribou, Musk Ox, Artic Fox, and Snowshoe Hare.

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Wasn’t it exciting discovering some of the cool critters of the Ice Age that God created? I have a great idea! Let’s go in by the fireplace and get another mug of hot chocolate to thaw ourselves out after all of that cold, snow, and ice.

THE END

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Dear Ice Age Ex plorers,

The Ice Age was caused by the Fl oo d of Noah’s Day. The worldw ide floo d was G od’s ju dgment for sin in the wo rld. God hates sin to day as much as He di d back then. The Bi ble says all have sinne d and fallen short of the glor y of God (Romans 3: 23). The Bible sa ys that if yo u tell even one lie or steal so methi ng, even if it’s small, yo u’re a sinner. It also says that if yo u’re disrespect ful to yo ur pare nts or think bad thoughts, th en yo u’re a sinne r. The price for is death and se sin paration from G od. But God lo sent His only So ves us enough th n, Jesus Christ, at He to die for our sin forg iven (John s so that we can 3:16). Jesus rose be from the dead He is stronger th because He is G an death. Right od , and now He is prepar children in Heav ing a place for en that is better Hi s than anything we can imag ine. Beco ming a child of God is more important than co uld ever do. Al anything else yo l God asks is th u at we put our fa repent of our sin ith and trus t in Jesu s, ask Him to fo rg ive us, and m s, lives (Romans 10 ake Him leader :9-10). Have yo u in our ever done this? ask Him right no If yo u haven’t yo w, but yo u mus t u can be sincere. Ro mans 10:13 sa ys, “For whosoeve r shall call upon Lord shall be sa the name of the ve d.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess ou r sins, He is faith forg ive us our sin ful and just to s, and to cleans e us from all un righteousness.” But wait! Beco m ing a child of G od is not the en jo urney but the d of the beginning! Yo u need to make it (talking with G a habit to pray od) and find a Bible (God’s lette us) to read, and r to tr y to find othe r Christians to time with. All th spend ese things will help yo u grow to more like Jesus. be God bless yo u! Bu ddy Davis, Ka y Davis, and Lydi a Howe

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Bibliography The Simon & Schuster Encylopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures, Barry Cox, R.J. G. Savage, Brian Gardiner and Colin Harrison, Revised and Updated by Douglas Palmer, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1999. The Evolution of Mammals, L.B. Halstead, Eurobook Limited, Italy, 1978 Wildlife Fact File, IMP BV/Inc. USA. The Answers Book for Kids Volume 6, Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge, Master Books, Arkansas, 2013 The Answers Magazine, Vol. 8 No. 2, April-June 2013

Photo Credits Shutterstock, Wikimedia: CC BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 2.0 All illustrations by Buddy Davis

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Biography Gifted by God in many ways, Buddy Davis is a speaker and singer/songwriter for AiG. He is an adventurer and paleo-artist, and he leads the very popular “Creation Adventure” children’s workshop at AiG conferences and at the Creation Museum. Buddy plays many acoustic instruments, and his music is enjoyed around the world. As a speaker for AiG, Buddy’s talks cover a wide range of topics. Whether geared for adults, children, or the whole family, Buddy’s messages are aimed at the lay audience. His easy-to-understand style makes him popular with listeners of all ages. As an author and illustrator of children’s and family books, Buddy is once again able to minister to a wide range of people. Fiction and non-fiction, print and audio, Buddy’s easy-to-read style is perfect for family read-aloud time and classroom use. As a “paleo-artist,” Buddy specializes in building life-size dinosaur sculptures. He has sculpted more than 60 impressive dinosaur models, many of which have found a new home in the Creation Museum. His work has been featured worldwide in newspapers, magazines, books, and on television.

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The Marvels of Creation Series by Buddy and Kay Davis

Children and adults alike will delight in these illustrated guides to birds, mammals, fish, and sea creatures of the world. Filled with spectacular photographs and “creature classifications,” this illustrated guide to animals of the world is great for any home or school library.

ISBN: 978-0-89051-457-3 $12.99 U.S.

ISBN: 978-0-89051-458-0 $12.99 U.S.

ISBN: 978-0-89051-456-6 $12.99 U.S.