The Extinction of the Mammoths
Most mammoths disappeared about 10 to 12 thousand years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. The last mammoth in existence went extinct around 4,000 years ago. However, the majority of mammoths had gone extinct 6,000 years before that. Woolly mammoths are one of several mammoth species and they survived the main extinction for thousands of years on remote islands. They were the last surviving mammoth species. As the climate warmed, the woolly mammoth’s northern territory became fractured as Arctic ice melted. In Siberia, the northern Siberian plains were submerged by melting glaciers forming islands. On Wrangel Island in Siberia and St. Paul Island in Alaska, the last of the woolly mammoths continued to outlive their mainland relatives.
Why Did Mammoths Go Extinct?
Mammoths went extinct because of climate change and overhunting by humans. Climate change was the main catalyst and overhunting accelerated the process. Recent studies argue that humans may not have affected the mammoth extinction as they would have died out around the same time without human intervention. As the planet warmed, the makeup of the flora on earth changed. Mammoths lived in an area that became much wetter which killed off the vegetation that sustained them. On the remote islands where the last mammoths were hanging on, freshwater sources dried up as the climate warmed. The last woolly mammoths suffered from inbreeding depression due to their isolation. This means that their genes became littered with too many negative traits. The last generations of mammoths had lost their sense of smell, suffered from developmental disorders, couldn’t regulate their insulin, and the males were infertile.
Mammoths and Ancient Humans
Ancient humans and mammoths interacted for thousands of years. Humans used the entire body of a mammoth for a variety of purposes like shelter, art, and food. There are numerous cave drawings of mammoths. The most famous cave drawings are at the Cave of Forgotten Dreams, or the Chauvet Pont d’Arc Cave in France. The youngest images in these caves are around 28,000 years old and one wooly mammoth is depicted. A flute made from mammoth bone was discovered to be over 30,000 years old. It is the oldest instrument known. Neanderthals are not Homosapiens but they too utilized mammoths fully. They used mammoth bones to construct round and oval houses. The oldest recovered neanderthal home is about 30,000 years old and was located in Moldova.
Were Mammoths Elephants?
Yes, mammoths are an extinct type of elephant that’s closely related to extant elephants. Their DNA is almost identical to African and Asian elephants alive today. Both existed at the same time, and they shared similar lifestyles and diets but they preferred different climates. When the species diverged from each other about 6 million years ago, elephants were in warmer regions and mammoths in colder regions. As climate change at the end of the last Ice Age warmed the planet, elephants were able to adapt but mammoths could not. One of the most recognizable mammoths is the woolly mammoth. This mammoth was about the same size as an African elephant but with bigger tusks and a hump on its back. It also had long and shaggy fur whereas elephants have light body hair.
Whole Frozen Baby Mammoths Were Discovered
Whole frozen baby mammoths have been found twice. Both discoveries are extremely important to the evolving understanding of mammoth lives and lifestyles. The most recent discovery is a baby woolly mammoth from the Yukon in Canada named Non cho ga. It’s believed to be around 30,000 years old and it was discovered by gold miners. Its name means “big baby animal” in the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation’s language called the Hän language. It’s believed Non cho ga is female. The calf is so well preserved that it has skin, eyes, hair, toenails, and intestines intact. There was even suckled milk in its stomach along with fecal matter. Some animals eat fecal matter in infancy to obtain the microorganisms needed for healthy digestion. In 2007, a calf named Lyuba was found in Siberia. This calf became trapped in mud while crossing a river and died. It is very similar to Non cho ga though not quite as complete.
Are Mastodons and Mammoths the Same Thing?
No, mastodons and mammoths are not the same animals even though they both look like large elephants with tusks. Mammoths are more like modern elephants than mastodons though both are related. Mastodons were shorter and stockier than mammoths. Mastodons preferred to chow on woodland vegetation whereas mammoths focused on grasses. This made their teeth different. Mammoths had flat molars while mastodons had conical molars. Mammoth tusks are twice as large as mastodon tusks and they’re also more curved. They enjoyed different climates but both ate about 400 pounds of food every day. Neither mammoths nor mastodons lived in Australia or Antarctica. Mastodons went completely extinct at the end of the last Ice Age with the rest of the megafauna. No individuals clung on for a few thousand more years like mammoths. Both lived and traveled in herds. Mammoths like woolly mammoths had humps on their backs while mastodons did not. These humps stored fat that helped them get through lean moments. There are four different mastodon species whereas there are ten mammoth species.
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