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Model of Prehistoric Elephant That Roamed Staten Island is Named 'Hollick'

By Nicholas Rizzi | March 15, 2016 3:46pm
 The Staten Island Museum officially named their life-sized mastodon replica "Hollick" after a co-founder of the museum.
Staten Island Museum Mastodon
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LIVINGSTON — A prehistoric elephant that roamed Staten Island has been named "Hollick."

The replica of a mastodon that stands in the Staten Island Museum was given the name in honor of the scientist who discovered the beast's fossilized remains in the borough.

The huge animal, which went on display when the museum opened its Snug Harbor expansion in September, was given the name Tuesday after a vote.

"We asked visitors to help us name the mastodon," said Cheryl Adolph, interim president and CEO of the museum.

"From our opening weekend, we had over 500 suggestions. We narrowed them down to the eight most popular and the public voted online."

The name "Hollick" got 25 percent of the vote and beat out Brutus, Don Masto, Harry, Murray, Snuffy, Tiny and Egbert.

C. Arthur Hollick was a paleobotanist and co-founder of the museum who served as the director from 1913 to 1919, according to the museum.

In 1889, Hollick found a fossilized mastodon tooth on Todt Hill that proved it once roamed the borough. The tooth is on display in the museum as part of its "Remember the Mastodon: Diversity & Preservation" exhibit.

The museum unveiled the name of the replica at a ceremony with Deputy Borough President Ed Burke and second graders from P.S. 29 Tuesday.