170-677: The woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius ) 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
340-457: 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
510-409: A Y. The female's clitoris may be 40 cm (16 in). The vulva is found lower than in other herbivores, between the hind legs instead of under the tail. Determining pregnancy status can be difficult due to the animal's large belly. The female's mammary glands occupy the space between the front legs, which puts the suckling calf within reach of the female's trunk. Elephants have a unique organ,
680-585: 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
850-615: A closer relationship to each other than either do to African elephants . The following cladogram shows the placement of the genus Mammuthus among other proboscideans, based on hyoid characteristics and genetics: † Mammutidae (mastodons) [REDACTED] † Gomphotheriidae (gomphotheres) [REDACTED] † Stegodontidae (stegodontids) [REDACTED] Loxodonta (African elephants) [REDACTED] † Palaeoloxodon (straight-tusked elephants) [REDACTED] Elephas (Asian elephants) [REDACTED] † Mammuthus (mammoths) [REDACTED] It
1020-449: A day. Elephants tend to stay near water sources. They have morning, afternoon, and nighttime feeding sessions. At midday, elephants rest under trees and may doze off while standing. Sleeping occurs at night while the animal is lying down. Elephants average 3–4 hours of sleep per day. Both males and family groups typically move no more than 20 km (12 mi) a day, but distances as far as 180 km (112 mi) have been recorded in
1190-456: 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
1360-504: A faster gait similar to running. In walking, the legs act as pendulums, with the hips and shoulders moving up and down while the foot is planted on the ground. The fast gait does not meet all the criteria of running, since there is no point where all the feet are off the ground, although the elephant uses its legs much like other running animals, and can move faster by quickening its stride. Fast-moving elephants appear to 'run' with their front legs, but 'walk' with their hind legs and can reach
1530-429: 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
1700-537: 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,
1870-494: A human brain. It is the largest of all terrestrial mammals. While the elephant brain is larger overall, it is proportionally smaller than the human brain . At birth, an elephant's brain already weighs 30–40% of its adult weight. The cerebrum and cerebellum are well developed, and the temporal lobes are so large that they bulge out laterally. Their temporal lobes are proportionally larger than those of other animals, including humans. The throat of an elephant appears to contain
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#17327731010032040-422: 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
2210-527: 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
2380-779: A long proboscis called a trunk, tusks , large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive grey skin. The trunk is prehensile , bringing food and water to the mouth and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs. Elephants are scattered throughout sub-Saharan Africa , South Asia, and Southeast Asia and are found in different habitats, including savannahs , forests, deserts, and marshes . They are herbivorous , and they stay near water when it
2550-431: 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
2720-399: 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
2890-619: A number of bones of Mammuthus meridionalis from the Dmanisi site in Georgia having marks suggested to the result of butchery by archaic humans , likely as a result of scavenging. During the Last Glacial Period , modern humans hunted woolly mammoths, used their remains to create art and tools, and depicted them in works of art. Remains of Columbian mammoths at a number of sites suggest that they were hunted by Paleoindians ,
3060-548: A pouch where it can store water for later use. The larynx of the elephant is the largest known among mammals. The vocal folds are anchored close to the epiglottis base. When comparing an elephant's vocal folds to those of a human, an elephant's are proportionally longer, thicker, with a greater cross-sectional area. In addition, they are located further up the vocal tract with an acute slope. The heart of an elephant weighs 12–21 kg (26–46 lb). Its apex has two pointed ends, an unusual trait among mammals. In addition,
3230-418: A protective crust. Elephants have difficulty releasing heat through the skin because of their low surface-area-to-volume ratio , which is many times smaller than that of a human. They have even been observed lifting up their legs to expose their soles to the air. Elephants only have sweat glands between the toes, but the skin allows water to disperse and evaporate, cooling the animal. In addition, cracks in
3400-449: 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
3570-645: A result of insular dwarfism . These include Mammuthus lamarmorai on Sardinia (late Middle-Late Pleistocene), Mammuthus exilis on the Channel Islands of California (Late Pleistocene), and Mammuthus creticus on Crete (Early Pleistocene). Like living elephants, mammoths typically had large body sizes. The largest known species like Mammuthus meridionalis and Mammuthus trogontherii (the steppe mammoth) were considerably larger than modern elephants, with mature adult males having an average height of approximately 3.8–4.2 m (12.5–13.8 ft) at
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#17327731010033740-413: 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
3910-471: 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
4080-541: A single species, Loxodonta africana , but molecular studies have affirmed their status as separate species. Mammoths ( Mammuthus ) are nested within living elephants as they are more closely related to Asian elephants than to African elephants. Another extinct genus of elephant, Palaeoloxodon , is also recognised, which appears to have close affinities with African elephants and to have hybridised with African forest elephants. Over 180 extinct members of order Proboscidea have been described. The earliest proboscideans,
4250-440: A strong grasp. The flexibility of the trunk is aided by the numerous wrinkles in the skin. The African elephants have two finger-like extensions at the tip of the trunk that allow them to pluck small food. The Asian elephant has only one and relies more on wrapping around a food item. Asian elephant trunks have better motor coordination . The trunk's extreme flexibility allows it to forage and wrestle other elephants with it. It
4420-469: 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
4590-520: 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
4760-661: A top speed of 25 km/h (16 mph). At this speed, most other quadrupeds are well into a gallop, even accounting for leg length. Spring-like kinetics could explain the difference between the motion of elephants and other animals. The cushion pads expand and contract, and reduce both the pain and noise that would come from a very heavy animal moving. Elephants are capable swimmers: they can swim for up to six hours while completely waterborne, moving at 2.1 km/h (1 mph) and traversing up to 48 km (30 mi) continuously. The brain of an elephant weighs 4.5–5.5 kg (10–12 lb) compared to 1.6 kg (4 lb) for
4930-518: 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
5100-433: 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
5270-542: 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 δO and Sr/Sr found in layers of
Woolly mammoth - Misplaced Pages Continue
5440-413: 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
5610-432: A year. As the tusk develops, it is topped with smooth, cone-shaped enamel that eventually wanes. The dentine is known as ivory and has a cross-section of intersecting lines, known as "engine turning", which create diamond-shaped patterns. Being living tissue, tusks are fairly soft and about as dense as the mineral calcite . The tusk protrudes from a socket in the skull, and most of it is external. At least one-third of
5780-409: Is accessible. They are considered to be keystone species , due to their impact on their environments. Elephants have a fission–fusion society , in which multiple family groups come together to socialise. Females (cows) tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. The leader of a female group, usually the oldest cow, is known as
5950-409: 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
6120-718: Is derived from the Latin word elephas ( genitive elephantis ) ' elephant ' , which is the Latinised form of the ancient Greek ἐλέφας ( elephas ) (genitive ἐλέφαντος ( elephantos )), probably from a non- Indo-European language , likely Phoenician . It is attested in Mycenaean Greek as e-re-pa (genitive e-re-pa-to ) in Linear B syllabic script. As in Mycenaean Greek, Homer used
6290-411: 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
6460-436: Is possible to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus through morphological studies. Mammoth species can be identified from the number of enamel ridges/lamellae on their molars; the primitive species had few ridges, and the amount increased gradually as new species evolved and replaced the former ones. At the same time, the crowns of the teeth became longer, and the skulls became higher from top to bottom and shorter from
6630-423: 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
6800-417: Is powerful enough to lift up to 350 kg (770 lb), but it also has the precision to crack a peanut shell without breaking the seed. With its trunk, an elephant can reach items up to 7 m (23 ft) high and dig for water in the mud or sand below. It also uses it to clean itself. Individuals may show lateral preference when grasping with their trunks: some prefer to twist them to the left, others to
6970-568: Is the Asian elephant . The Columbian mammoth ( Mammuthus columbi ) lived alongside 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
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7140-418: 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
7310-718: Is thought to be the ancestor of Mammuthus meridionalis , which first appeared at the beginning of the Pleistocene, around 2.6 million years ago. Mammuthus meridionalis subsequently gave rise to Mammuthus trogontherii (the steppe mammoth) in Eastern Asia around 1.7 million years ago. Around 1.5–1.3 million years ago, M. trogontherii crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America, becoming ancestral to Mammuthus columbi (the Columbian mammoth). At
7480-600: Is typically more worn down, as it is shorter and blunter. For African elephants, tusks are present in both males and females and are around the same length in both sexes, reaching up to 300 cm (9 ft 10 in), but those of males tend to be more massive. In the Asian species, only the males have large tusks. Female Asians have very small tusks, or none at all. Tuskless males exist and are particularly common among Sri Lankan elephants . Asian males can have tusks as long as Africans', but they are usually slimmer and lighter;
7650-728: 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
7820-772: 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
7990-504: 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
8160-513: The Arctic Ocean until as recently as 4,000 years ago, still extant during the existence of the earliest civilisations in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia . According to The American Heritage Dictionary , the word "mammoth" likely originates from *mān-oŋt, a word in the Mansi languages of western Siberia meaning "earth horn", in reference to mammoth tusks. Mammoths appear in the folkore of
8330-564: The Bering Strait into the Holocene, with their latest survival being on Wrangel Island , where they persisted until around 4,000 years ago. Over the course of their evolution, probobscideans grew in size. With that came longer limbs and wider feet with a more digitigrade stance, along with a larger head and shorter neck. The trunk evolved and grew longer to provide reach. The number of premolars, incisors, and canines decreased, and
8500-842: The Early Pleistocene , all non-elephantid probobscidean genera outside of the Americas became extinct with the exception of Stegodon , with gomphotheres dispersing into South America as part of the Great American interchange , and mammoths migrating into North America around 1.5 million years ago. At the end of the Early Pleistocene, around 800,000 years ago the elephantid genus Palaeoloxodon dispersed outside of Africa, becoming widely distributed in Eurasia. Proboscideans were represented by around 23 species at
8670-589: The Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabiting Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. Mammoths are distinguished from living elephants by their (typically large) spirally twisted tusks and in at least some later species, the development of numerous adaptions to living in cold environments, including a thick layer of fur. Mammoths and Asian elephants are more closely related to each other than they are to African elephants . The oldest mammoth representative, Mammuthus subplanifrons , appeared around 6 million years ago during
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#17327731010038840-705: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade , as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks. Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past, they were used in war; today, they are often controversially put on display in zoos, or employed for entertainment in circuses . Elephants have an iconic status in human culture and have been widely featured in art, folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture. The word elephant
9010-500: 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
9180-641: 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
9350-405: The incisors , known as the tusks ; 12 deciduous premolars ; and 12 molars . Unlike most mammals, teeth are not replaced by new ones emerging from the jaws vertically. Instead, new teeth start at the back of the mouth and push out the old ones. The first chewing tooth on each side of the jaw falls out when the elephant is two to three years old. This is followed by four more tooth replacements at
9520-426: The largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), the African forest elephant ( L. cyclotis ), and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea ; extinct relatives include mammoths and mastodons . Distinctive features of elephants include
9690-476: 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
9860-507: The matriarch . Males (bulls) leave their family groups when they reach puberty and may live alone or with other males. Adult bulls mostly interact with family groups when looking for a mate. They enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth , which helps them gain dominance over other males as well as reproductive success. Calves are the centre of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70 years in
10030-423: The pleural cavity . This may allow the animal to deal with the pressure differences when its body is underwater and its trunk is breaking the surface for air. Elephants breathe mostly with the trunk but also with the mouth. They have a hindgut fermentation system, and their large and small intestines together reach 35 m (115 ft) in length. Less than half of an elephant's food intake gets digested, despite
10200-506: The pygmy mammoth ( Mammuthus exillis ) date to around 13,000 years ago, coinciding with the reducing of the area of the Californian Channel Islands as a result of rising sea level, the earliest known humans in the Channel Islands, and climatic change resulting in the decline of the previously dominant conifer forest ecosystems and expansion of scrub and grassland. [REDACTED] Elephant Elephants are
10370-487: The temporal gland , located on both sides of the head. This organ is associated with sexual behaviour, and males secrete a fluid from it when in musth . Females have also been observed with these secretions. Elephants are herbivorous and will eat leaves, twigs, fruit, bark, grass, and roots. African elephants mostly browse , while Asian elephants mainly graze . They can eat as much as 300 kg (660 lb) of food and drink 40 L (11 US gal) of water in
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#173277310100310540-432: The ventricles of the heart split towards the top, a trait also found in sirenians. When upright, the elephant's heart beats around 28 beats per minute and actually speeds up to 35 beats when it lies down. The blood vessels are thick and wide and can hold up under high blood pressure. The lungs are attached to the diaphragm , and breathing relies less on the expanding of the ribcage. Connective tissue exists in place of
10710-543: The "shovel tuskers" like Platybelodon ), choerolophodontids and stegodontids . Around 10 million years ago, the earliest members of the family Elephantidae emerged in Africa, having originated from gomphotheres. Elephantids are distinguished from earlier proboscideans by a major shift in the molar morphology to parallel lophs rather than the cusps of earlier proboscideans, allowing them to become higher-crowned (hypsodont) and more efficient in consuming grass. The Late Miocene saw major climactic changes, which resulted in
10880-530: 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
11050-528: The African Eritherium and Phosphatherium are known from the late Paleocene . The Eocene included Numidotherium , Moeritherium , and Barytherium from Africa. These animals were relatively small and, some, like Moeritherium and Barytherium were probably amphibious. Later on, genera such as Phiomia and Palaeomastodon arose; the latter likely inhabited more forested areas. Proboscidean diversification changed little during
11220-493: The Americas became extinct approximately simultaneously at the end of the Late Pleistocene. Hunting of Columbian mammoths by Paleoindians may have been a contributory factor in their extinction. The timing of the extinction of the dwarf Sardinian mammoth Mammuthus lamarmorai is difficult to constrain precisely, though the youngest specimen likely dates to sometime around 57–29,000 years ago. The youngest records of
11390-478: The Bering Strait until around 5,600 years ago, with their extinction likely due to the degradation of freshwater sources, and on Wrangel Island off the coast of Northeast Siberia until around 4,000 years ago. The last reliable dates of the Columbian mammoth date to around 12,500 years ago. Columbian mammoths became extinct as part of the end-Pleistocene extinction event where most large mammals across
11560-594: 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
11730-473: 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
11900-665: The Greek word to mean ivory , but after the time of Herodotus , it also referred to the animal. The word elephant appears in Middle English as olyfaunt ( c. 1300 ) and was borrowed from Old French oliphant (12th century). Orycteropodidae [REDACTED] Macroscelididae [REDACTED] Chrysochloridae [REDACTED] Tenrecidae [REDACTED] Procaviidae [REDACTED] Elephantidae [REDACTED] Dugongidae [REDACTED] Trichechidae [REDACTED] Elephants belong to
12070-573: The Late Pliocene, by 3.2 million years ago, mammoths dispersed into Eurasia via the Sinai Peninsula. The earliest mammoths in Eurasia are assigned to the species Mammuthus rumanus . The youngest remains of mammoths in Africa are from Aïn Boucherit, Algeria dating to the Early Pleistocene, around 2.3–2 million years ago (with a possible later record from Aïn Hanech, Algeria, dating to 1.95–1.78 million years ago). Mammuthus rumanus
12240-504: 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". Mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus Mammuthus . They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into
12410-660: The Oligocene. One notable species of this epoch was Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi of the Horn of Africa , which may have been an ancestor to several later species. early proboscideans, e.g. Moeritherium [REDACTED] Deinotheriidae [REDACTED] Mammutidae [REDACTED] Gomphotheriidae [REDACTED] Stegodontidae [REDACTED] Loxodonta [REDACTED] Palaeoloxodon [REDACTED] Mammuthus [REDACTED] Elephas [REDACTED] A major event in proboscidean evolution
12580-412: 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
12750-480: The ages of four to six, 9–15, 18–28, and finally in their early 40s. The final (usually sixth) set must last the elephant the rest of its life. Elephant teeth have loop-shaped dental ridges, which are more diamond-shaped in African elephants. The tusks of an elephant are modified second incisors in the upper jaw. They replace deciduous milk teeth at 6–12 months of age and keep growing at about 17 cm (7 in)
12920-598: 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
13090-399: 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
13260-568: The back to the front over time to accommodate this. The earliest mammoths, assigned to the species Mammuthus subplanifrons , are known from southern and eastern Africa, with the earliest records dating to the Late Miocene , around 6.2–5.3 million years ago. By the Late Pliocene , mammoths had become confined to the northern portions of the African continent with remains from this time assigned to Mammuthus africanavus . During
13430-412: 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
13600-575: The beginning of the Late Pleistocene . Proboscideans underwent a dramatic decline during the Late Pleistocene as part of the Late Pleistocene extinctions of most large mammals globally, with all remaining non-elephantid proboscideans (including Stegodon , mastodons , and the American gomphotheres Cuvieronius and Notiomastodon ) and Palaeoloxodon becoming extinct, with mammoths only surviving in relict populations on islands around
13770-420: 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
13940-453: The cheek teeth (molars and premolars) became longer and more specialised. The incisors developed into tusks of different shapes and sizes. Several species of proboscideans became isolated on islands and experienced insular dwarfism , some dramatically reducing in body size, such as the 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall dwarf elephant species Palaeoloxodon falconeri . Elephants are the largest living terrestrial animals. Some species of
14110-426: The course of mammoth evolution in Eurasia, their diet shifted towards mixed feeding-grazing in M. trogontherii, culminating in the woolly mammoth, which was largely a grazer, with stomach contents of woolly mammoths suggesting that they largely fed on grass and forbs . M. columbi is thought to have been a mixed feeder. Evidence that humans interacted with mammoths extends back to around 1.8 million years ago, with
14280-546: The creation of mountains and lakes, while the Yakuts regarded mammoths as water spirits. The word mammoth was first used in Europe during the early 17th century, when referring to maimanto tusks discovered in Siberia, as recorded in the 1618 edition of the Dictionariolum Russico-Anglicum. The earliest scientific research paper on mammoths was by Vasily Tatishchev in 1725. John Bell , who
14450-402: The decline and extinction of many proboscidean groups. The earliest members of the modern genera of Elephantidae appeared during the latest Miocene–early Pliocene around 5 million years ago. The elephantid genera Elephas (which includes the living Asian elephant) and Mammuthus (mammoths) migrated out of Africa during the late Pliocene, around 3.6 to 3.2 million years ago. Over the course of
14620-420: The ear is considerably thinner. Elephants are typically grey, but African elephants look brown or reddish after rolling in coloured mud. Asian elephants have some patches of depigmentation, particularly on the head. Calves have brownish or reddish hair, with the head and back being particularly hairy. As elephants mature, their hair darkens and becomes sparser, but dense concentrations of hair and bristles remain on
14790-442: 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
14960-525: The elephant uses its trunk as a snorkel . The trunk also acts as a sense organ. Its sense of smell may be four times greater than a bloodhound 's nose. The infraorbital nerve , which makes the trunk sensitive to touch, is thicker than both the optic and auditory nerves. Whiskers grow all along the trunk, and are particularly packed at the tip, where they contribute to its tactile sensitivity. Unlike those of many mammals, such as cats and rats, elephant whiskers do not move independently ("whisk") to sense
15130-522: 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
15300-564: The end of the Early Pleistocene Mammuthus trogontherii migrated into Europe, replacing M. meridionalis around 1–0.8 million years ago. Mammuthus primigenius (the woolly mammoth) had evolved from M. trogontherii in Siberia by around 600,000–500,000 years ago, replacing M. trogontherii in Europe by around 200,000 years ago, and migrated into North America during the Late Pleistocene. A number of dwarf mammoth species, with small body sizes, evolved on islands as
15470-402: The environment; the trunk itself must move to bring the whiskers into contact with nearby objects. Whiskers grow in rows along each side on the ventral surface of the trunk, which is thought to be essential in helping elephants balance objects there, whereas they are more evenly arranged on the dorsal surface. The number and patterns of whiskers are distinctly different between species. Damaging
15640-410: The extinct elephant genus Palaeoloxodon considerably exceeded modern elephants in size making them among the largest land mammals ever. The skeleton is made up of 326–351 bones. The vertebrae are connected by tight joints, which limit the backbone's flexibility. African elephants have 21 pairs of ribs, while Asian elephants have 19 or 20 pairs. The skull contains air cavities ( sinuses ) that reduce
15810-428: 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
15980-585: The family Elephantidae , the sole remaining family within the order Proboscidea . Their closest extant relatives are the sirenians ( dugongs and manatees ) and the hyraxes , with which they share the clade Paenungulata within the superorder Afrotheria . Elephants and sirenians are further grouped in the clade Tethytheria . Three species of living elephants are recognised; the African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), forest elephant ( Loxodonta cyclotis ), and Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). African elephants were traditionally considered
16150-501: 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
16320-541: The first humans to inhabit the Americas. A possible bone engraving of a Columbian mammoth made by Paleoindians is known from Vero Beach, Florida. Following the end of the Last Glacial Maximum , the range of the woolly mammoth began to contract, disappearing from most of Europe by 14,000 years ago. By the Younger Dryas (around 12,900-11,700 years Before Present ), woolly mammoths were confined to
16490-402: 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,
16660-463: The first technical identification of any fossil animal in North America. In 1796, French biologist Georges Cuvier was the first to identify 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 was not widely accepted at the time. Following Cuvier's identification, German naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach gave
16830-420: 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
17000-529: 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
17170-519: The front and hind limbs can support an elephant's weight, although 60% is borne by the front. The position of the limbs and leg bones allows an elephant to stand still for extended periods of time without tiring. Elephants are incapable of turning their manus as the ulna and radius of the front legs are secured in pronation . Elephants may also lack the pronator quadratus and pronator teres muscles or have very small ones. The circular feet of an elephant have soft tissues, or "cushion pads" beneath
17340-406: The genetic changes found in woolly mammoths responsible for tolerance of cold conditions. Scientists discovered and studied the remains of a mammoth calf, and found that fat greatly influenced its form, and enabled it to store large amounts of nutrients necessary for survival in temperatures as low as −50 °C (−58 °F). The fat also allowed the mammoths to increase their muscle mass, allowing
17510-406: 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
17680-420: 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 was similar to that of
17850-684: 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
18020-643: The indigenous people of Siberia, who were impressed by the great size of their remains. In the mythology of the Evenk people, mammoths were responsible for the creation of the world, digging up the land from the ocean floor with their tusks. The Selkup believed that mammoths lived underground and guarded the underworld , while the Nenets and the Mansi (the latter of whom, along with the Khanty , conceived mammoths as giant birds) believed that mammoths were responsible for
18190-438: 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,
18360-542: The largest ear flaps. The ossicles are adapted for hearing low frequencies, being most sensitive at 1 kHz . Lacking a lacrimal apparatus (tear duct), the eye relies on the harderian gland in the orbit to keep it moist. A durable nictitating membrane shields the globe. The animal's field of vision is compromised by the location and limited mobility of the eyes. Elephants are dichromats and they can see well in dim light but not in bright light. The elongated and prehensile trunk, or proboscis , consists of both
18530-481: The largest known among proboscideans with some specimens over 4 m (13.1 ft) in length and likely 200 kg (440.9 lb) in weight with some historical reports suggesting tusks of Columbian mammoths could reach lengths of around 5 m (16.4 ft) substantially surpassing the largest known modern elephant tusks. The heads of mammoths were prominently domed. The first several thoracic vertebrae of mammoths typically had long neural spines. The back
18700-402: The largest recorded was 302 cm (9 ft 11 in) long and weighed 39 kg (86 lb). Hunting for elephant ivory in Africa and Asia has resulted in an effective selection pressure for shorter tusks and tusklessness. An elephant's skin is generally very tough, at 2.5 cm (1 in) thick on the back and parts of the head. The skin around the mouth, anus , and inside of
18870-467: 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
19040-425: 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
19210-579: The late Miocene in what is now southern and Eastern Africa. Later in the Pliocene , by about three million years ago, mammoths dispersed into Eurasia, eventually covering most of Eurasia before migrating into North America around 1.5–1.3 million years ago, becoming ancestral to the Columbian mammoth ( M. columbi ). The woolly mammoth ( M. primigenius ) evolved about 700–400,000 years ago in Siberia, with some surviving on Russia's Wrangel Island in
19380-506: 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
19550-406: The living elephants and the mammoths. Among many now extinct clades, the mastodon is only a distant relative of the mammoths, and part of the separate Mammutidae family, which diverged 25 million years before the mammoths evolved. Following the publication of the woolly mammoths mitochondrial genome sequence in 1997, it has since become widely accepted that mammoths and Asian elephants share
19720-438: 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
19890-424: 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
20060-528: 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
20230-468: The mammoths to fight against enemies and live longer. Woolly mammoths evolved a suite of adaptations for arctic life, including morphological traits such as small ears and tails to minimize heat loss, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, and numerous sebaceous glands for insulation, as well as a large brown-fat hump like deposit behind the neck that may have functioned as a heat source and fat reservoir during winter. Based on studies of their close relatives,
20400-971: 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
20570-414: 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
20740-449: The manus or pes , which allow them to bear the animal's great mass. They appear to have a sesamoid , an extra "toe" similar in placement to a giant panda 's extra "thumb", that also helps in weight distribution. As many as five toenails can be found on both the front and hind feet. Elephants can move both forward and backward, but are incapable of trotting , jumping , or galloping . They can move on land only by walking or ambling :
20910-425: The middle with a thinner tip and supported by a thicker base. They contain numerous blood vessels called capillaries . Warm blood flows into the capillaries, releasing excess heat into the environment. This effect is increased by flapping the ears back and forth. Larger ear surfaces contain more capillaries, and more heat can be released. Of all the elephants, African bush elephants live in the hottest climates and have
21080-525: The modern elephants, mammoths probably had a gestation period of 22 months, resulting in a single calf being born. Their social structure was probably the same as that of African and Asian elephants, with females living in herds headed by a matriarch, whilst bulls lived solitary lives or formed loose groups after sexual maturity, with adult males experiencing periods of musth . The earliest mammoth species like M. subplanifrons and M. rumanus were mixed feeders (both browsing and grazing) to browsers. Over
21250-547: The northernmost regions of Siberia. This contraction is suggested to have been caused by the warming induced expansion of unfavourable wet tundra and forest environments at the expense of the preferred dry open mammoth steppe , with the possible additional pressure of human hunting. The last woolly mammoths in mainland Siberia became extinct around 10,000 years ago, during the early Holocene . The final extinction of mainland woolly mammoths may have been driven by human hunting. Relict populations survived on Saint Paul island in
21420-413: The nose and upper lip, which fuse in early fetal development. This versatile appendage contains up to 150,000 separate muscle fascicles , with no bone and little fat. These paired muscles consist of two major types: superficial (surface) and internal. The former are divided into dorsal, ventral , and lateral muscles, while the latter are divided into transverse and radiating muscles. The muscles of
21590-410: 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
21760-423: The process lasting a day. An elephant's bladder can store up to 18 litres of urine and its kidneys can produce more than 50 litres of urine per day. A male elephant's testes, like other Afrotheria , are internally located near the kidneys. The penis can be as long as 100 cm (39 in) with a 16 cm (6 in) wide base. It curves to an 'S' when fully erect and has an orifice shaped like
21930-406: 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
22100-511: The remains subsequently examined by the British naturalist Mark Catesby , who visited the site, and later published an account of his visit in 1843. While the slave owners were puzzled by the objects and suggested that they originated from the great flood described in the Bible, Catesby noted that the slaves unanimously agreed that the objects were the teeth of elephants similar to those from their African homeland, to which Catesby concurred, marking
22270-493: The right. Elephant trunks are capable of powerful siphoning. They can expand their nostrils by 30%, leading to a 64% greater nasal volume, and can breathe in almost 30 times faster than a human sneeze, at over 150 m/s (490 ft/s). They suck up water, which is squirted into the mouth or over the body. The trunk of an adult Asian elephant is capable of retaining 8.5 L (2.2 US gal) of water. They will also sprinkle dust or grass on themselves. When underwater,
22440-421: 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
22610-415: 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
22780-442: The shift in the diet of mammoths from a browsing based diet in M. rumanus , towards a grazing diet in later species. Both sexes bore tusks. A first, small set appeared at about the age of six months, and these were replaced at about 18 months by the permanent set. Growth of the permanent set was at a rate of about 2.5 to 15.2 cm (1 to 6 in) per year. The tusks display a strong spiral twisting. Mammoth tusks are among
22950-414: The shoulder and weights of 9.6–12.7 tonnes (21,000–28,000 lb ), while exceptionally large males may have reached 4.5 m (14.8 ft) at the shoulder and 14.3 tonnes (31,526.1 lb) in weight. However, woolly mammoths were considerably smaller, only about as large as modern African bush elephants with males around 2.80–3.15 m (9 ft 2.2 in – 10 ft 4.0 in) high at
23120-452: The shoulder, and 4.5–6 tonnes (9,900–13,200 lb ) in weight on average, with the largest recorded individuals being around 3.5 m (11.5 ft) tall and 8.2 tonnes (18,077.9 lb) in weight. The insular dwarf mammoth species were considerably smaller, with the smallest species M. creticus estimated to have a shoulder height of only around 1 metre (3.3 ft) and a weight of about 180 kilograms (400 lb), making it one of
23290-401: The skin may reduce dehydration and allow for increased thermal regulation in the long term. To support the animal's weight, an elephant's limbs are positioned more vertically under the body than in most other mammals. The long bones of the limbs have cancellous bones in place of medullary cavities . This strengthens the bones while still allowing haematopoiesis (blood cell creation). Both
23460-419: 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
23630-456: The skull, which serve as protection. Because of the size of the head, the neck is relatively short to provide better support. Elephants are homeotherms and maintain their average body temperature at ~ 36 °C (97 °F), with a minimum of 35.2 °C (95.4 °F) during the cool season, and a maximum of 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) during the hot dry season. Elephant ear flaps, or pinnae , are 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) thick in
23800-554: The smallest elephantids known. The number of lamellae (ridge-like structures) on the molars, particularly on the third molars, substantially increased over the course of mammoth evolution. The earliest Eurasian species M. rumanus have around 8-10 lamellae on the third molars, while Late Pleistocene woolly mammoths have 20-28 lamellae on the third molars. These changes also corresponded with reduced enamel thickness and increasing tooth height ( hypsodonty ). These changes are thought to be adaptations to increasing abrasion resulting from
23970-445: 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
24140-409: 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,
24310-399: 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
24480-506: 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
24650-472: The tip of the tail and parts of the head and genitals. Normally, the skin of an Asian elephant is covered with more hair than its African counterpart. Their hair is thought to help them lose heat in their hot environments. Although tough, an elephant's skin is very sensitive and requires mud baths to maintain moisture and protection from burning and insect bites. After bathing, the elephant will usually use its trunk to blow dust onto its body, which dries into
24820-414: 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
24990-839: 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
25160-514: The trunk connect to a bony opening in the skull. The nasal septum consists of small elastic muscles between the nostrils, which are divided by cartilage at the base. A unique proboscis nerve – a combination of the maxillary and facial nerves – lines each side of the appendage. As a muscular hydrostat , the trunk moves through finely controlled muscle contractions, working both with and against each other. Using three basic movements: bending, twisting, and longitudinal stretching or retracting,
25330-422: The trunk has near unlimited flexibility. Objects grasped by the end of the trunk can be moved to the mouth by curving the appendage inward. The trunk can also bend at different points by creating stiffened "pseudo-joints". The tip can be moved in a way similar to the human hand. The skin is more elastic on the dorsal side of the elephant trunk than underneath; allowing the animal to stretch and coil while maintaining
25500-508: The trunk would be detrimental to an elephant's survival, although in rare cases, individuals have survived with shortened ones. One trunkless elephant has been observed to graze using its lips with its hind legs in the air and balancing on its front knees. Floppy trunk syndrome is a condition of trunk paralysis recorded in African bush elephants and involves the degeneration of the peripheral nerves and muscles. The disorder has been linked to lead poisoning. Elephants usually have 26 teeth:
25670-433: The tusk contains the pulp , and some have nerves that stretch even further. Thus, it would be difficult to remove it without harming the animal. When removed, ivory will dry up and crack if not kept cool and wet. Tusks function in digging, debarking, marking, moving objects, and fighting. Elephants are usually right- or left-tusked, similar to humans, who are typically right- or left-handed . The dominant, or "master" tusk,
25840-439: 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
26010-717: 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
26180-419: The weight of the skull while maintaining overall strength. These cavities give the inside of the skull a honeycomb -like appearance. By contrast, the lower jaw is dense. The cranium is particularly large and provides enough room for the attachment of muscles to support the entire head. The skull is built to withstand great stress, particularly when fighting or using the tusks. The brain is surrounded by arches in
26350-464: The widely used name for the species, including by Cuvier. The genus name Mammuthus was coined by British anatomist Joshua Brookes in 1828, as part of a survey of his museum collection. Thomas Jefferson , who famously had a keen interest in paleontology , is partially responsible for transforming the word mammoth from a noun describing the prehistoric elephant to an adjective describing anything of surprisingly large size. The first recorded use of
26520-463: The wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell, and sound; elephants use infrasound and seismic communication over long distances. Elephant intelligence has been compared with that of primates and cetaceans . They appear to have self-awareness , and possibly show concern for dying and dead individuals of their kind. African bush elephants and Asian elephants are listed as endangered and African forest elephants as critically endangered by
26690-465: 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:
26860-489: 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
27030-579: The woolly mammoth its scientific name, Elephas primigenius , in 1799, placing it in the Elephas , the genus which today contains the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). Originally the African elephants, as well as the American mastodon (described in 1792) were also placed in Elephas . Cuvier coined the synonym Elephas mammonteus for the woolly mammoth a few months later, but E. primigenius became
27200-447: 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
27370-436: The word as an adjective was in a description of a large wheel of cheese (the " Cheshire Mammoth Cheese ") given to Jefferson in 1802. The earliest known proboscideans , the clade that contains the elephants, arose about 55 million years ago on the landmass of Afro-Arabia. The closest relatives of the Proboscidea are the sirenians and the hyraxes . The family Elephantidae arose by million years ago in Africa, and includes
27540-402: 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"
27710-885: Was identified as an extinct species of elephant by Georges Cuvier in 1796. The appearance and behaviour of this species are among 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
27880-410: 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
28050-644: Was on the Ob River in 1722, said that mammoth tusks were well known in the area. They were called "mammon's horn" and were often found in washed-out river banks. Bell bought one and presented it to Hans Sloan who pronounced it an elephant's tooth. In the American colonies around 1725, enslaved Africans digging in the vicinity of the Stono River in South Carolina unearthed molar teeth recognised in modern times to belong to Columbian mammoths , with
28220-484: 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 ,
28390-602: Was the collision of Afro-Arabia with Eurasia, during the Early Miocene, around 18–19 million years ago, allowing proboscideans to disperse from their African homeland across Eurasia and later, around 16–15 million years ago into North America across the Bering Land Bridge . Proboscidean groups prominent during the Miocene include the deinotheres , along with the more advanced elephantimorphs , including mammutids (mastodons), gomphotheres , amebelodontids (which includes
28560-562: Was typically sloping, with the body being wider than that of African elephants. The tails of mammoths were relatively short compared to living elephants. While early mammoth species like M. meridionalis were probably relatively hairless, similar to modern elephants, M. primigenius and likely M. trogontherii had a substantial coat of fur, among other physiological adaptations for living in cold environments. Genetic sequencing of M. trogontherii -like mammoths, over 1 million years old from Siberia suggests that they had already developed many of
28730-407: 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
28900-401: 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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