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89-516: By the Byoryolyokh more than 8,000 bones from at least 140 woolly mammoths have been found in a single spot, apparently having been swept there by the current. The northernmost archaeological site of the Paleolithic Stone Age is located by the river at 71°0′N 148°54′E  /  71.000°N 148.900°E  / 71.000; 148.900 . The name of the river is based on

178-459: A dominant (fully active) and a recessive (partially active) one. In mammals, recessive Mc1r alleles result in light hair. Mammoths born with at least one copy of the dominant allele would have had dark coats, while those with two copies of the recessive allele would have had light coats. A 2011 study showed that light individuals would have been rare. A 2014 study instead indicated that the colouration of an individual varied from nonpigmented on

267-571: A cast. The earliest known members of the Proboscidea, the clade , which contains modern elephants, existed about 55 million years ago around the Tethys Sea . The closest known relatives of the Proboscidea are the sirenians (dugongs and manatees) and the hyraxes (an order of small, herbivorous mammals). The family Elephantidae existed 6 million years ago in Africa and includes the modern elephants and

356-457: A diet of plants when they were 2–3 years old. This is later than in modern elephants and may be due to a higher risk of predator attack or difficulty in obtaining food during the long periods of winter darkness at high latitudes. The molars were adapted to their diet of coarse tundra grasses, with more enamel plates and a higher crown than their earlier, southern relatives. The woolly mammoth chewed its food by using its powerful jaw muscles to move

445-430: A fleshy expansion a third above the tip. Rather than oval as the rest of the trunk, this part was ellipsoidal in cross section, and double the size in diameter. The feature was shown to be present in two other specimens, of different sexes and ages. The coat consisted of an outer layer of long, coarse "guard hair", which was 30 cm (12 in) on the upper part of the body, up to 90 cm (35 in) in length on

534-534: A historical report of a 4.30 m (14.1 ft) long tusk found in Siberia, while the heaviest tusk is 121 kg (267 lb), suggested to have been 125–130 kg (276–287 lb) when complete; 2.4–2.7 m (7 ft 10 in – 8 ft 10 in) and 45 kg (99 lb) was a more typical size. Female tusks were smaller and thinner, 1.5–1.8 m (4 ft 11 in – 5 ft 11 in) and weighing 9 kg (20 lb). For comparison,

623-423: A layer of fat up to 10 cm (3.9 in) thick under the skin, which helped to keep them warm. Woolly mammoths had broad flaps of skin under their tails which covered the anus ; this is also seen in modern elephants. Other characteristic features depicted in cave paintings include a large, high, single-domed head and a sloping back with a high shoulder hump; this shape resulted from the spinous processes of

712-528: A lifetime, which were replaced five times, though a few specimens with a seventh set are known. The latter condition could extend the lifespan of the individual, unless the tooth consisted of only a few plates. The first molars were about the size of those of a human, 1.3 cm (0.51 in), the third were 15 cm (5.9 in) long, and the sixth were about 30 cm (12 in) long and weighed 1.8 kg (4.0 lb). The molars grew larger and contained more ridges with each replacement. The woolly mammoth

801-402: A more extensive covering of hair than adults. This is thought to be for thermoregulation , helping them lose heat in their hot environments. Comparison between the over-hairs of woolly mammoths and extant elephants show that they did not differ much in overall morphology. Woolly mammoths had numerous sebaceous glands in their skin, which secreted oils into their hair; this would have improved

890-516: A number of glacials and interglacials. At least eight glacial cycles have occurred in the last 740,000 years alone. The Penultimate Glacial Period (PGP) is the glacial period that occurred before the Last Glacial Period . It began about 194,000 years ago and ended 135,000 years ago, with the beginning of the Eemian interglacial. The last glacial period was the most recent glacial period within

979-449: A protein, TRPV3, found in skin, which affects hair growth. When inserted into human cells, the mammoth's version of the protein was found to be less sensitive to heat than the elephant's. This is consistent with a previous observation that mice lacking active TRPV3 are likely to spend more time in cooler cage locations than wild-type mice, and have wavier hair. Several alterations in circadian clock genes were found, perhaps needed to cope with

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1068-415: A result of this condition. The "Yukagir mammoth" had suffered from spondylitis in two vertebrae, and osteomyelitis is known from some specimens. Several specimens have healed bone fractures , showing that the animals had survived these injuries. Likewise, spondyloarthropathy has also been identified in woolly mammoth remains. An extra number of cervical vertebrae has been found in 33% of specimens from

1157-472: A similar relationship with M. trogontherii in areas where their range overlapped. In 2021, DNA older than a million years was sequenced for the first time, from two mammoth teeth of Early Pleistocene age found in eastern Siberia. One tooth from Adycha (1–1.3 million years old) belonged to a lineage that was ancestral to later woolly mammoths, whereas the other from Krestovka (1.1–1.65 million years old) belonged to new lineage. The study found that half of

1246-471: A strong smell called temporin . Their fur may have helped in spreading the scent further. This was confirmed by a 2023 study that compared the testosterone level in the dentine of an adult African elephant tusk with that of a male woolly mammoth. Evidence of several different bone diseases has been found in woolly mammoths. The most common of these was osteoarthritis , found in 2% of specimens. One specimen from Switzerland had several fused vertebrae as

1335-520: A time—two in the upper jaw and two in the lower. About 23 cm (9.1 in) of the crown was within the jaw, and 2.5 cm (0.98 in) was above. The crown was continually pushed forwards and up as it wore down, comparable to a conveyor belt . The teeth had up to 26 separated ridges of enamel , which were themselves covered in "prisms" that were directed towards the chewing surface. These were quite wear-resistant and kept together by cementum and dentine . A mammoth had six sets of molars throughout

1424-509: A tropical animal would be found in such a cold area as Siberia, and suggested that they might have been transported there by the Great Flood. In 1796, French biologist Georges Cuvier was the first to identify the woolly mammoth remains not as modern elephants transported to the Arctic, but as an entirely new species. He argued this species had gone extinct and no longer existed, a concept that

1513-433: A varied diet to support their growth, like modern elephants. An adult of 6 tonnes would need to eat 180 kg (400 lb) daily, and may have foraged as long as 20 hours every day. The two-fingered tip of the trunk was probably adapted for picking up the short grasses of the last ice age ( Quaternary glaciation , 2.58 million years ago to present) by wrapping around them, whereas modern elephants curl their trunks around

1602-539: A woolly mammoth herd 11,300–11,000 years ago have been found in the St. Mary Reservoir in Canada, showing that in this case almost equal numbers of adults, subadults, and juveniles were found. The adults had a stride of 2 m (6.6 ft), and the juveniles ran to keep up. Woolly mammoth dental enamel from Poland has demonstrated that woolly mammoths were seasonally migratory. Recurring shifts in δ O and Sr/ Sr found in layers of

1691-413: A year, and weekly and daily ones can be found in between. Dark bands correspond to summers, so determining the season in which a mammoth died is possible. The growth of the tusks slowed when foraging became harder, for example during winter, during disease, or when a male was banished from the herd (male elephants live with their herds until about the age of 10). Mammoth tusks dating to the harshest period of

1780-707: Is also known as "Yelon" ( Russian : Елонь ) in a section of its lower course. It joins the Indigirka from the left at the Russo-Ustinsky Canal , the western arm of the Indigirka River near its mouth, not far from Chokurdakh . The main tributaries of the Byoryolyokh are the Wese-Killah on the left; and the Ulakhan-Killah (Tiit), Selgannah and Ary-May on the right. There are more than nine thousand lakes in

1869-736: Is an extinct species of mammoth that lived from the Middle Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with the African Mammuthus subplanifrons in the early Pliocene . The woolly mammoth began to diverge from the steppe mammoth about 800,000 years ago in Siberia . Its closest extant relative is the Asian elephant . The Columbian mammoth ( Mammuthus columbi ) lived alongside

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1958-410: Is considered to have had the most complex molars of any elephant. Adult woolly mammoths could effectively defend themselves from predators with their tusks, trunks and size; however, juveniles and weakened adults were vulnerable to pack hunters such as wolves , cave hyenas , and large felines . The tusks may have been used in intraspecies fighting, such as fights over territory or mates. Display of

2047-413: Is indicated on many preserved tusks by flat, polished sections up to 30 cm (12 in) long, as well as scratches, on the part of the surface that would have reached the ground (especially at their outer curvature). The tusks were used for obtaining food in other ways, such as digging up plants and stripping off bark. The lifespan of mammals is related to their size. Since modern elephants can reach

2136-479: Is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials , on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate between glacial periods. The Last Glacial Period ended about 15,000 years ago. The Holocene is the current interglacial. A time with no glaciers on Earth is considered a greenhouse climate state . Within the Quaternary , which started about 2.6 million years before present , there have been

2225-423: Is possible. Mammoth species can be identified from the number of enamel ridges (or lamellar plates ) on their molars ; primitive species had few ridges, and the number increased gradually as new species evolved to feed on more abrasive food items. The crowns of the teeth became deeper in height and the skulls became taller to accommodate this. At the same time, the skulls became shorter from front to back to minimise

2314-420: Is the size of the pelvic girdle, since the opening that functions as the birth canal is always wider in females than in males. Though the mammoths on Wrangel Island were smaller than those of the mainland, their size varied, and they were not small enough to be considered " island dwarfs ". The last woolly mammoth populations are claimed to have decreased in size and increased their sexual dimorphism , but this

2403-674: Is uncertain; depending on author, they are either considered primitive forms of an advanced species or advanced forms of a primitive species. Distinguishing and determining these intermediate forms has been called one of the most long-lasting and complicated problems in Quaternary palaeontology. Regional and intermediate species and subspecies such as M. intermedius , M. chosaricus , M. p. primigenius , M. p. jatzkovi , M. p. sibiricus , M. p. fraasi , M. p. leith-adamsi , M. p. hydruntinus , M. p. astensis , M. p. americanus , M. p. compressus , and M. p. alaskensis have been proposed. A 2011 genetic study showed that two examined specimens of

2492-769: The African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), but is considerably smaller than the earlier Mammuthus meridionalis and Mammuthus trogontherii and the contemporary Mammuthus columbi . The woolly mammoth exhibited size variation throughout its range, with individuals from Western Europe being considerably larger (with adult males estimated to be on average 2.99–3.31 m (9 ft 10 in – 10 ft 10 in) tall and 5.2–6.9 t (11,000–15,000 lb) in weight) than those found in Siberia (with adult males of this population being estimated on average 2.66–2.94 m (8 ft 9 in – 9 ft 8 in) tall and 3.9–5.2 t (8,600–11,500 lb) in weight). One of

2581-850: The Alps ), Weichsel (in northern Central Europe ), Dali (in East China ), Beiye (in North China ), Taibai (in Shaanxi ) Luoji Shan (in southwest Sichuan ), Zagunao (in northwest Sichuan ), Tianchi (in the Tian Shan ) Jomolungma (in the Himalayas ), and Llanquihue (in Chile ). The glacial advance reached the Last Glacial Maximum about 26,500 BP . In Europe , the ice sheet reached Northern Germany . Over

2670-497: The Arabic version of the biblical word "behemoth". Another possible origin is Estonian , where maa means "earth", and mutt means " mole ". The word was first used in Europe during the early 17th century, when referring to maimanto tusks discovered in Siberia. The American president Thomas Jefferson , who had a keen interest in palaeontology , was partially responsible for transforming

2759-557: The Middle Pleistocene . Woolly mammoths entered North America about 100,000 years ago by crossing the Bering Strait . Individuals and populations showing transitional morphologies between each of the mammoth species are known, and primitive and derived species coexisted until the former disappeared. The different species and their intermediate forms have been termed " chronospecies ". Many taxa intermediate between M. primigenius and other mammoths have been proposed, but their validity

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2848-637: The Proboscidea was published, wherein he used various taxon names that had previously been proposed for mammoth species, including replacing Mammuthus with Mammonteus , as he believed the former name to be invalidly published. Mammoth taxonomy was simplified by various researchers from the 1970s onwards, all species were retained in the genus Mammuthus , and many proposed differences between species were instead interpreted as intraspecific variation. Osborn chose two molars (found in Siberia and Osterode ) from Blumenbach's collection at Göttingen University as

2937-685: The Quaternary glaciation at the end of the Pleistocene , and began about 110,000 years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago. The glaciations that occurred during the glacial period covered many areas of the Northern Hemisphere and have different names, depending on their geographic distributions: Wisconsin (in North America ), Devensian (in Great Britain ), Midlandian (in Ireland ), Würm (in

3026-596: The Yakut language Бөрөлөөх , Börölööx , meaning "teeming with wolves ." The source of the Byoryolyokh is located at the confluence of two small rivers north of the Polousny Range . The river flows roughly northeastwards across the Yana-Indigirka Lowland . The length of the Byoryolyokh is 754 kilometres (469 mi). The area of its drainage basin is 17,000 square kilometres (6,600 sq mi). The river

3115-470: The lectotype specimens for the woolly mammoth, since holotype designation was not practised in Blumenbach's time, and one of the specimens Blumenbach had described had been of the unrelated straight-tusked elephant ( Palaeoloxodon antiquus ). Soviet palaeontologist Vera Gromova further proposed the former should be considered the lectotype with the latter as paralectotype. Both molars were thought lost by

3204-523: The 1980s, and the more complete "Taimyr mammoth" found in Siberia in 1948 was therefore proposed as the neotype specimen in 1990. Resolutions to historical issues about the validity of the genus name Mammuthus and the type species designation of E. primigenius were also proposed. The paralectotype molar (specimen GZG.V.010.018) has since been located in the Göttingen University collection, identified by comparing it with Osborn's illustration of

3293-585: The British physician Hans Sloane in 1728 and consisted of fossilised teeth and tusks from Siberia . Sloane was the first to recognise that the remains belonged to elephants . Sloane turned to another biblical explanation for the presence of elephants in the Arctic, asserting that they had been buried during the Great Flood , and that Siberia had previously been tropical before a drastic climate change. Others interpreted Sloane's conclusion slightly differently, arguing

3382-526: The Columbian mammoth were grouped within a subclade of woolly mammoths. This suggests that the two populations interbred and produced fertile offspring. A North American type formerly referred to as M. jeffersonii may be a hybrid between the two species. A 2015 study suggested that the animals in the range where M. columbi and M. primigenius overlapped formed a metapopulation of hybrids with varying morphology. It suggested that Eurasian M. primigenius had

3471-473: The North Sea region, probably due to a drop in numbers and subsequent inbreeding. Vertebral lesions in woolly mammoths have been speculated to have resulted from nutritional stress. Parasitic flies and protozoa were identified in the gut of the calf "Dima". Glacial period A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation ) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that

3560-412: The age of 60 years, the same is thought to be true for woolly mammoths, which were of a similar size. The age of a mammoth can be roughly determined by counting the growth rings of its tusks when viewed in cross section, but this does not account for its early years, as these are represented by the tips of the tusks, which are usually worn away. In the remaining part of the tusk, each major line represents

3649-588: The ancestry of Columbian mammoths came from relatives of the Krestovka lineage (which probably represented the first mammoths that colonised the Americas) and the other half from the lineage of woolly mammoths, with the hybridisation happening more than 420,000 years ago, during the Middle Pleistocene . Later woolly and Columbian mammoths also interbred occasionally, and mammoth species may have hybridised routinely when brought together by glacial expansion. These findings were

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3738-401: The animal reached adulthood. The tusks grew by 2.5–15 cm (0.98–5.91 in) each year. Some cave paintings show woolly mammoths with small or no tusks, but whether this reflected reality or was artistic license is unknown. Female Asian elephants have no tusks, but no fossil evidence indicates that any adult woolly mammoths lacked them. Woolly mammoths had four functional molar teeth at

3827-412: The back vertebrae decreasing in length from front to rear. These features were not present in juveniles, which had convex backs like Asian elephants. Another feature shown in cave paintings was confirmed by the discovery of a frozen specimen in 1924, an adult nicknamed the "Middle Kolyma mammoth", which was preserved with a complete trunk tip. Unlike the trunk lobes of modern elephants, the upper "finger" at

3916-587: The basin of the Byoryolyokh River. It usually floods over its banks in July and August. In winter it freezes to the bottom. This Sakha Republic location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in the Russian Far East is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Woolly mammoth The woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius )

4005-750: The best studied of any prehistoric animal because of the discovery of frozen carcasses in Siberia and North America , as well as skeletons, teeth, stomach contents, dung, and depiction from life in prehistoric cave paintings . The woolly mammoth was roughly the same size as modern African elephants . Males reached shoulder heights between 2.67 and 3.49 m (8 ft 9 in and 11 ft 5 in) and weighed between 3.9 and 8.2 t (3.8 and 8.1 long tons; 4.3 and 9.0 short tons). Females reached 2.3–2.6 m (7 ft 7 in – 8 ft 6 in) in shoulder heights and weighed between 2.8–4 t (2.8–3.9 long tons; 3.1–4.4 short tons). A newborn calf weighed about 90 kg (200 lb). The woolly mammoth

4094-420: The calves of modern elephants. The expansion identified on the trunk of "Yuka" and other specimens was suggested to function as a "fur mitten"; the trunk tip was not covered in fur, but was used for foraging during winter, and could have been heated by curling it into the expansion. The expansion could be used to melt snow if a shortage of water to drink existed, as melting it directly inside the mouth could disturb

4183-443: The earlier type, becoming the southern mammoth ( M. meridionalis ) about 2–1.7 million years ago. In turn, this species was replaced by the steppe mammoth ( M. trogontherii ) with 18–20 ridges, which evolved in eastern Asia around 1 million years ago. Mammoths derived from M. trogontherii evolved molars with 26 ridges 400,000 years ago in Siberia and became the woolly mammoth. The earliest identified forms of woolly mammoth date to

4272-519: The enamel correspond to seasonal variations and indicate that Polish woolly mammoths inhabited southern Poland during winter but grazed the Polish midlands during summer. The woolly mammoth was probably the most specialised member of the family Elephantidae. In addition to their fur, they had lipopexia (fat storage) in their neck and withers , for times when food availability was insufficient during winter, and their first three molars grew more quickly than in

4361-431: The extreme polar variation in length of daylight. Similar mutations are known in other Arctic mammals, such as reindeer. A 2019 study of the woolly mammoth mitogenome suggest that these had metabolic adaptations related to extreme environments. A genetic study from 2023 found that the woolly mammoth had already acquired a broad range of genes associated with the development of skin and hair, fat storage, metabolism, and

4450-503: The first evidence of hybrid speciation from ancient DNA. The study also found that genetic adaptations to cold environments, such as hair growth and fat deposits, were already present in the steppe mammoth lineage and were not unique to woolly mammoths. The appearance of the woolly mammoth is probably the best known of any prehistoric animal due to the many frozen specimens with preserved soft tissue and depictions by contemporary humans in their art. The average shoulder height for males of

4539-402: The first set would be worn out at 18 months of age. The third set of molars lasted for 10 years, and this process was repeated until the final, sixth set emerged when the animal was 30 years old. When the last set of molars was worn out, the animal would be unable to chew and feed, and it would die of starvation. A study of North American mammoths found that they often died during winter or spring,

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4628-420: The flanks and underside, and 0.5 mm (0.020 in) in diameter, and a denser inner layer of shorter, slightly curly under-wool, up to 8 cm (3.1 in) long and 0.05 mm (0.0020 in) in diameter. The hairs on the upper leg were up to 38 cm (15 in) long, and those of the feet were 15 cm (5.9 in) long, reaching the toes. The hairs on the head were relatively short, but longer on

4717-522: The flood had carried elephants from the tropics to the Arctic . Sloane's paper was based on travellers' descriptions and a few scattered bones collected in Siberia and Britain. He discussed the question of whether or not the remains were from elephants, but drew no conclusions. In 1738, the German zoologist Johann Philipp Breyne argued that mammoth fossils represented some kind of elephant. He could not explain why

4806-408: The hair follicles of both a 20,000-year-old mammoth retrieved from permafrost and another that died 60,000 years ago. In 2012, proteins were confidently identified for the first time, collected from a 43,000-year-old woolly mammoth. Since many remains of each species of mammoth are known from several localities, reconstructing the evolutionary history of the genus through morphological studies

4895-399: The hardest times for northern animals to survive. Examination of preserved calves shows that they were all born during spring and summer, and since modern elephants have gestation periods of 21–22 months, the mating season probably was from summer to autumn. δ15N isotopic analysis of the teeth of "Lyuba" has demonstrated their prenatal development , and indicates its gestation period

4984-678: The immune system by the time the species appeared, and that these continued to evolve within the last 700,000 years, including a gene that resulted in mammoths of the Late Quaternary having small ears. Food at various stages of digestion has been found in the intestines of several woolly mammoths, giving a good picture of their diet. Woolly mammoths sustained themselves on plant food, mainly grasses and sedges, which were supplemented with herbaceous plants , flowering plants , shrubs , mosses , and tree matter. The composition and exact varieties differed from location to location. Woolly mammoths needed

5073-438: The large tusks of males could have been used to attract females and to intimidate rivals. Because of their curvature, the tusks were unsuitable for stabbing, but may have been used for hitting, as indicated by injuries to some fossil shoulder blades. The very long hairs on the tail probably compensated for the shortness of the tail, enabling its use as a flyswatter , similar to the tail on modern elephants. As in modern elephants,

5162-464: The largest recorded woolly mammoths is the Siegsdorf specimen from Germany, with an estimated shoulder height of 3.49 m (11.5 ft) and an estimated body mass of 8.2 t (18,000 lb). A newborn calf would have weighed about 90 kg (200 lb). Few frozen specimens have preserved genitals, so the sex is usually determined through examination of the skeleton. The best indication of sex

5251-406: The last 650,000 years, there have been on average seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat. Since orbital variations are predictable, computer models that relate orbital variations to climate can predict future climate possibilities. Work by Berger and Loutre suggests that the current warm climate may last another 50,000 years. The amount of heat trapping (greenhouse) gases being emitted into

5340-427: The last glaciation 25–20,000 years ago show slower growth rates. Woolly mammoths continued growing past adulthood, like other elephants. Unfused limb bones show that males grew until they reached the age of 40, and females grew until they were 25. The frozen calf "Dima" was 90 cm (35 in) tall when it died at the age of 6–12 months. At this age, the second set of molars would be in the process of erupting, and

5429-506: The lifetime of an individual. Its behaviour was similar to that of modern elephants, and it used its tusks and trunk for manipulating objects, fighting, and foraging. The diet of the woolly mammoth was mainly grasses and sedges . Individuals could probably reach the age of 60. Its habitat was the mammoth steppe , which stretched across northern Eurasia and North America. The woolly mammoth coexisted with early humans, who used its bones and tusks for making art, tools, and dwellings, and hunted

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5518-440: The longer grass of their tropical environments. The trunk could be used for pulling off large grass tufts, delicately picking buds and flowers, and tearing off leaves and branches where trees and shrubs were present. The "Yukagir mammoth" had ingested plant matter that contained spores of dung fungus . Isotope analysis shows that woolly mammoths fed mainly on C3 plants , unlike horses and rhinos. Scientists identified milk in

5607-476: The mammoth and Asian elephant lineages diverged 5.8–7.8 million years ago, while African elephants diverged from an earlier common ancestor 6.6–8.8 million years ago. In 2008, much of the woolly mammoth's chromosomal DNA was mapped. The analysis showed that the woolly mammoth and the African elephant are 98.55% to 99.40% identical. The team mapped the woolly mammoth's nuclear genome sequence by extracting DNA from

5696-530: The mammoth genome project in 2015 sparked discussion about potentially reviving the woolly mammoth through several various methods. However, none of these approaches are currently feasible. Remains of woolly mammoths were long known by native Siberians and Native Americans , who had various ways of interpreting them. Remains later reached other parts of Asia and Europe, where they were also interpreted in various ways prior to modern science . The first woolly mammoth remains studied by scientists were examined by

5785-975: The mammoths. Among many now-extinct clades, the mastodon ( Mammut ) is only a distant relative of the mammoths and part of the separate family Mammutidae , which diverged 25 million years before the mammoths evolved. The Asian elephant is the closest extant relative of the mammoths. The following cladogram shows the placement of the woolly mammoth among Late Pleistocene and modern proboscideans, based on genetic data: † Mammut americanum (American mastodon) † Notiomastodon platensis (South American gomphothere) † Mammuthus columbi (Columbian mammoth) † Mammuthus primigenius ( woolly mammoth ) Elephas maximus (Asian elephant) † Palaeoloxodon antiquus (European straight-tusked elephant) Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephant) Loxodonta africana (African bush elephant) Within six weeks from 2005–2006, three teams of researchers independently assembled mitochondrial genome profiles of

5874-414: The mandible forwards and close the mouth, then backwards while opening; the sharp enamel ridges thereby cut across each other, grinding the food. The ridges were wear-resistant to enable the animal to chew large quantities of food, which often contained grit. Woolly mammoths may have used their tusks as shovels to clear snow from the ground and reach the vegetation buried below, and to break ice to drink. This

5963-411: The overhairs, bicoloured, nonpigmented and mixed red-brown guard hairs, and nonpigmented underhairs, which would give a light overall appearance. Woolly mammoths had very long tusks (modified incisor teeth), which were more curved than those of modern elephants. The longest known male tusk is 4.05 m (13.3 ft) long (measured along the outside curve) and weighs 115.5 kg (255 lb), with

6052-406: The record for longest tusks of the African bush elephant is 3.4 m (11 ft). The sheaths of the tusks were parallel and spaced closely. About a quarter of the length was inside the sockets. The tusks grew spirally in opposite directions from the base and continued in a curve until the tips pointed towards each other, sometimes crossing. In this way, most of the weight would have been close to

6141-422: The sensitive and muscular trunk worked as a limb-like organ with many functions. It was used for manipulating objects, and in social interactions. The well-preserved foot of the adult male " Yukagir mammoth " shows that the soles of the feet contained many cracks that would have helped in gripping surfaces during locomotion. Like modern elephants, woolly mammoths walked on their toes and had large, fleshy pads behind

6230-415: The sequence of more than 1,600 proteins. Differences were noted in genes for a number of aspects of physiology and biology that would be relevant to Arctic survival, including development of skin and hair, storage and metabolism of adipose tissue, and perceiving temperature. Genes related to both sensing temperature and transmitting that sensation to the brain were altered. One of the heat-sensing genes encodes

6319-422: The skull, and less torque would occur than with straight tusks. The tusks were usually asymmetrical and showed considerable variation, with some tusks curving down instead of outwards and some being shorter due to breakage. Calves developed small milk tusks a few centimetres long at six months old, which were replaced by permanent tusks a year later. Tusk growth continued throughout life, but became slower as

6408-504: The species for food. The population of woolly mammoths declined at the end of the Late Pleistocene, with the last populations on mainland Siberia persisting until around 10,000 years ago, although isolated populations survived on St. Paul Island until 5,600 years ago and on Wrangel Island until 4,000 years ago. After its extinction, humans continued using its ivory as a raw material, a tradition that continues today. The completion of

6497-410: The species has been estimated at 2.8–3.15 m (9 ft 2 in – 10 ft 4 in) with a weight of 4.5–6 t (9,900–13,200 lb), with females being smaller like living elephants, with a shoulder height of 2.3–2.6 m (7 ft 7 in – 8 ft 6 in) and a weight of 2.8–4 t (6,200–8,800 lb). This size is comparable to the largest living elephant species,

6586-401: The stomach and faecal matter in the intestines of the mammoth calf " Lyuba ". The faecal matter may have been eaten by "Lyuba" to promote development of the intestinal microbes necessary for digestion of vegetation, as is the case in modern elephants. An isotope analysis of woolly mammoths from Yukon showed that the young nursed for at least 3 years and were weaned and gradually changed to

6675-508: The thermal balance of the animal. As in reindeer and musk oxen , the haemoglobin of the woolly mammoth was adapted to the cold, with three mutations to improve oxygen delivery around the body and prevent freezing. This feature may have helped the mammoths to live at high latitudes. In a 2015 study, high-quality genome sequences from three Asian elephants and two woolly mammoths were compared. About 1.4 million DNA nucleotide differences were found between mammoths and elephants, which affect

6764-415: The tip of the trunk had a long pointed lobe and was 10 cm (3.9 in) long, while the lower "thumb" was 5 cm (2.0 in) and was broader. The trunk of "Dima" was 76 cm (30 in) long, whereas the trunk of the adult "Liakhov mammoth" was 2 m (6 ft 7 in) long. The well-preserved trunk of a juvenile specimen nicknamed " Yuka " was described in 2015, and it was shown to possess

6853-841: The toes. Like modern elephants, woolly mammoths were likely very social and lived in matriarchal (female-led) family groups. This is supported by fossil assemblages and cave paintings showing groups, implying that most of their other social behaviours were likely similar to those of modern elephants. How many mammoths lived at one location at a time is unknown, as fossil deposits are often accumulations of individuals that died over long periods of time. The numbers likely varied by season and lifecycle events. Modern elephants can form large herds, sometimes consisting of multiple family groups, and these herds can include thousands of animals migrating together. Mammoths may have formed large herds more often, since animals that live in open areas are more likely to do this than those in forested areas. Trackways made by

6942-440: The underside and the sides of the trunk. The tail was extended by coarse hairs up to 60 cm (24 in) long, which were thicker than the guard hairs. The woolly mammoth likely moulted seasonally, and the heaviest fur was shed during spring. Since mammoth carcasses were more likely to be preserved, possibly only the winter coat has been preserved in frozen specimens. Modern elephants have much less hair, though juveniles have

7031-711: The weight of the head. The short and tall skulls of woolly and Columbian mammoths ( Mammuthus columbi ) were the culmination of this process. The first known members of the genus Mammuthus are the African species Mammuthus subplanifrons from the Pliocene , and M. africanavus from the Pleistocene . The former is thought to be the ancestor of later forms. Mammoths entered Europe around 3 million years ago. The earliest European mammoth has been named M. rumanus ; it spread across Europe and China. Only its molars are known, which show that it had 8–10 enamel ridges. A population evolved 12–14 ridges, splitting off from and replacing

7120-463: The wool's insulation, repelled water, and given the fur a glossy sheen. Preserved woolly mammoth fur is orange-brown, but this is believed to be an artefact from the bleaching of pigment during burial. The amount of pigmentation varied from hair to hair and within each hair. A 2006 study sequenced the Mc1r gene (which influences hair colour in mammals) from woolly mammoth bones. Two alleles were found:

7209-493: The woolly mammoth from ancient DNA , which allowed them to confirm the close evolutionary relationship between mammoths and Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus ). A 2015 DNA review confirmed Asian elephants as the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth. African elephants ( Loxodonta africana ) branched away from this clade around 6 million years ago, close to the time of the similar split between chimpanzees and humans. A 2010 study confirmed these relationships and suggested

7298-554: The woolly mammoth in North America, and DNA studies show that the two hybridised with each other. Mammoth remains had long been known in Asia before they became known to Europeans. The origin of these remains was long a matter of debate and often explained as being remains of legendary creatures . The mammoth was identified as an extinct species of elephant by Georges Cuvier in 1796. The appearance and behaviour of this species are among

7387-448: The word "mammoth" from a noun describing the prehistoric elephant to an adjective describing anything of surprisingly large size. The first recorded use of the word as an adjective was in a description of a wheel of cheese (the " Cheshire Mammoth Cheese ") given to Jefferson in 1802. By the early 20th century, the taxonomy of extinct elephants was complex. In 1942, American palaeontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn 's posthumous monograph on

7476-403: Was dismissed in a 2012 study. Woolly mammoths had several adaptations to the cold, most noticeably the layer of fur covering all parts of their bodies. Other adaptations to cold weather include ears that are far smaller than those of modern elephants; they were about 38 cm (15 in) long and 18–28 cm (7.1–11.0 in) across, and the ear of the 6- to 12-month-old frozen calf "Dima"

7565-412: Was not widely accepted at the time. Following Cuvier's identification, the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach gave the woolly mammoth its scientific name, Elephas primigenius , in 1799, placing it in the same genus as the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). This name is Latin for "the first-born elephant". Cuvier coined the name Elephas mammonteus a few months later, but the former name

7654-456: Was similar to that of a modern elephant, and that it was born in spring. The best-preserved head of a frozen adult specimen, that of a male nicknamed the "Yukagir mammoth", shows that woolly mammoths had temporal glands between the ear and the eye. This feature indicates that, like bull elephants, male woolly mammoths entered " musth ", a period of heightened aggressiveness. The glands are used especially by males to produce an oily substance with

7743-476: Was subsequently used. In 1828, the British naturalist Joshua Brookes used the name Mammuthus borealis for woolly mammoth fossils in his collection that he put up for sale, thereby coining a new genus name. Where and how the word "mammoth" originated is unclear. According to the Oxford English Dictionary , it comes from an old Vogul word mēmoŋt , "earth-horn". It may be a version of mehemot ,

7832-407: Was under 13 cm (5.1 in) long. The small ears reduced heat loss and frostbite , and the tail was short for the same reason, only 36 cm (14 in) long in the "Berezovka mammoth". The tail contained 21 vertebrae, whereas the tails of modern elephants contain 28–33. Their skin was no thicker than that of present-day elephants, between 1.25 and 2.5 cm (0.49 and 0.98 in). They had

7921-401: Was well adapted to the cold environments present during glacial periods , including the last ice age . It was covered in fur, with an outer covering of long guard hairs and a shorter undercoat. The colour of the coat varied from dark to light. The ears and tail were short to minimise frostbite and heat loss. It had long, curved tusks and four molars , which were replaced six times during

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