A new paper by Dale Gnidovec, curator of Orton Geological Museum, and co-authors, H. Gregory McDonald and Thomas W. Stafford, Jr., just published by Quaternary Research, establishes the latest radiocarbon age for Megalonyx jeffersonii, or Jefferson's ground sloth. 

“We were able to sample the skeleton only because of the vandalism that occurred three years ago during a break-in at the museum,” Gnidovec said. “The vandal broke off the claw and it was that breakage that gave us our sample for dating.”

Now, Orton Museum’s best-known — certainly most visible — specimen, Megalonyx jeffersonii, fondly known as “Jeff,” has been radiocarbon-dated for the first time. "We were able to establish that our sloth died 13,107 years ago," Gnidovec said.

This is only the sixth radiocarbon age based directly on an actual specimen of Megalonyx.

The partial skeleton of the extinct ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersonii, recovered from a farm near Millersburg, Ohio, in 1890, has the distinction of being the first skeleton of Megalonyx mounted for a museum exhibit, installed in Orton Museum on April 13, 1896 on Thomas Jefferson's birthday. The first reported ground sloth in North America was described by Thomas Jefferson in 1799.

“Jeff” has graced the entryway for years. He may be the one thing visitors remember best.

Amid the chaos — piles of shattered glass, “Jeff’s” broken claw and $23,000 in overall damages — left behind by the vandal who broke into the museum in the early morning hours of Jan. 8, 2012, it was difficult to envision any positive outcomes. 

The vandalism rocked both Ohio State’s campus and the surrounding community. Orton Geological Museum has long been a visible jewel housed in the Oval’s most iconic building, Orton Hall. Open to the public free of charge five days a week, it provides an important educational resource for students, faculty and the community.

The community swiftly responded with an outpouring of support and donations — the most heartwarming, Museum Director Bill Ausich said, “The numerous K-12 students who donated their savings, did chores, held bake sales and other fundraisers, including a ‘Donuts for Dinosaurs’ sale to raise money for Orton museum.”

By the way, “Jeff” is back in his rightful place, greeting the public as he always has — and justice was served. The culprit was caught and reparations have now been made in full.

—Sandi Rutkowski