A Giant Sloth Mystery Brought Me Home to Georgia
By G. Wayne Clough Smithsonian.com
When I came up with the notion for my new book, Things New & Strange, of connecting my south Georgia home to the Smithsonian collections, I had no idea it would lead me to giant ground sloths. But I would learn that connections, no matter how arcane, demanded to be followed, and the learning that resulted was part of the process. I was on a journey during which a fossilized giant ground sloth would lead me to a new understanding of myself and our world.
It turns out that nobody even knew giant ground sloths existed until a fellow named Manuel Torres found one in 1788 in Argentina. Its fossilized bones were sent to the Natural History Museum of Madrid where they were assembled to show what the creature might have looked like. It was big, as big as a grown elephant, and no one, including scientists, had ever seen anything like it before. In fact, there had been nothing like it in Europe or Asia because these unusual animals were native to the Americas. It would take a contrarian to sort out the new creature, and he was a French scientist named Georges Cuvier.
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.
She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.
ATTENTION READERS
We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully InformedIn fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
