Mammoths were large elephant-like animals that lived during the Pleistocene, Pliocene, and early Holocene epochs. They were herbivores and had long shaggy hair and huge tusks. They became extinct due to hunting by humans. At least 11 species are recognized, and the largest known species stood over 16 feet tall. There were also three species of dwarfs, all examples of island gigantism.
Mammoths are large proboscis (elephant-like animals) that lived during the Pleistocene, Pliocene, and early Holocene epochs, from 4.8 million to about 4,500 years ago. They were probably extinguished by man. Mammoths are all members of the genus Mammuthus. They were herbivores, like their living relatives the elephants, and would have consumed about 550 pounds (250 kg) of fresh plant matter per day, which would have been difficult in glacier-covered Eurasia.
These animals had long, shaggy hair to help them survive in the Ice Age environment, along with huge tusks, used to defend against predators such as predatory felines, canids, and humans. Mammoths were part of a larger trend in Ice Age evolution that favored larger animals. These animals are called megafauna and most became extinct as their habitats changed and they became susceptible to hunting by humans.
At least 11 species are recognized: Mammuthus columbi (Colombian mammoth), Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth), Mammuthus subplanifrons (South African mammoth), Mammuthus exilis (pygmy mammoth), Mammuthus imperator (imperial mammoth), Mammuthus africanavus (African mammoth). Mammuthus trogontherii (mammut delle steppe), Mammuthus meridionalis (mammut del sud), Mammuthus lamarmorae (sardine dwarf mammoth), Mammuthus jeffersonii (Jeffersonian mammoth) and Mammuthus sungari (mammoth del River Songhua).
Despite the modern meaning of the word “mammoth” as an adjective, these creatures weren’t much bigger than today’s elephants. Although the largest known species, the California Imperial Mammoth, stood over 16 feet (5 meters) tall, weighing up to 13 tons, most of the animals were smaller, not much larger than a modern Asian elephant. There were also three species of dwarfs, all examples of island gigantism: the Pygmy Mammoth, which lived in California’s Channel Islands, which themselves are less than 200 square miles. (518 sq km) in area, the Sardinian Mammoth, found on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, and the Wrangel Island Mammoth, from an island north of Siberia and within the Arctic Circle, the only known dwarf woolly mammoth.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
