The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), an extinct species that roamed the earth from the Middle Pleistocene until its extinction in the Holocene epoch, has fascinated scientists and the public alike. Thanks to the discovery of frozen carcasses in Siberia and North America, as well as skeletons, teeth, stomach contents, dung, and prehistoric cave paintings, the appearance and behavior of the woolly mammoth are among the best-studied of any prehistoric animal. One of the most intriguing aspects of these magnificent creatures is their diet, which played a crucial role in their survival and eventual extinction.
Physical Characteristics and Adaptations
The woolly mammoth was well-adapted to the cold environments present during glacial periods, including the last ice age. They were roughly the same size as modern African elephants, with males reaching shoulder heights between 2.67 and 3.49 meters (8 ft 9 in and 11 ft 5 in) and weighing between 3.9 and 8.2 tons (3.8 and 8.1 long tons; 4.3 and 9.0 short tons). Females were slightly smaller, reaching 2.3-2.6 m (7 ft 7 in - 8 ft 6 in) in shoulder heights and weighing 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).
These mammoths were covered in fur, with an outer covering of long guard hairs and a shorter undercoat, providing insulation against the frigid temperatures. The color of the coat varied from dark to light. The ears and tail were short to minimize frostbite and heat loss. They also had long, curved tusks and four molars, which were replaced six times during their lifetime.
Dietary Habits and Preferences
The diet of the woolly mammoth was mainly grasses and sedges. Individuals could probably reach the age of 60. The structure of their teeth, with ridged molars, was well-suited for grinding tough plant material. However, recent research has shed new light on the diversity of their diet, revealing that it was not limited to grasses alone.
The Role of Forbs
A DNA analysis of frozen arctic soil and mammoth poop suggests that these early herbivores depended on flowers as a vital source of protein. These flowers, known as "forbs," looked something like dandelions or buttercups. Eske Willerslev, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen, analyzed the DNA from dead plants frozen in the soil and found that the Arctic wasn't just grassland. The group analyzed the DNA from dead plants frozen in the soil. And they found that the Arctic wasn't just grassland. There was another class of plants growing at the time.
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Willerslev also analyzed poop from frozen woolly mammoths and rhinos found in Siberia to determine if these flowers were on the mammoth menu. In addition, Willerslev thinks the beasts needed the flowers to survive.
Forbs, small nutritious plants, might have been higher in proteins and other nutrients that were very important to sustaining the populations of large mammals. Forbs include many plants that humans eat, including dandelion, sunflower, alfalfa, watercress, parsley and carrot. The ice age Arctic was very cold and dry and probably dusty - extremely different from today's swampy tundra.
Dietary Similarities to Modern Elephants
If mammoths were similar to elephants in their eating habits, they were very remarkable beasts. Modern elephants spend 16 to 18 hours a day either feeding or moving toward a source of food or water, consume between 130 to 660 pounds (60 to 300 kg) of food each day, drink between 16 to 40 gallons (60 to 160 l) of water per day, and produce between 310 to 400 pounds (140 to 180 kg) of dung per day.
Since most mammoths were larger than modern elephants, these numbers must have been higher for mammoths. From the preserved dung of Columbian mammoths found in a Utah cave, a mammoth’s diet consisted primarily of grasses, sedges, and rushes.
Weaning and Maternal Care
Researchers, led by University of Western Ontario paleontologist Jessica Metcalfe, determined that mammoth infants were weaned as late as three years after birth based on studying woolly mammoth teeth found in northern Yukon. That means they were nursed on mother's milk much longer than modern elephants, apparently in response to the prolonged darkness, scanty vegetation in their far-north habitat and the ever-present threat of being killed by prehistoric wildcats.
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The intestines of a young mammoth contained the feces of an adult mammoth, probably her mother's: evidence that mammoth calves, like their modern elephant cousins, ate their mother's feces to inoculate their guts with her microbes in preparation for digesting plants.
The Clovis People and Mammoth Consumption
The woolly mammoth coexisted with early humans, who hunted the species for food and used its bones and tusks for making art, tools, and dwellings. The Clovis people, some of the earliest humans in North America, often moved from place to place, as did their main prey, the mammoth.
A recent isotope analysis of the bones of an 18-month-old child discovered in southwest Montana revealed that approximately 35% of the mother’s diet consisted of mammoth - by far the most abundant item in her diet. In fact, large mammals made up 96% of what she ate. Elk, bison, and an extinct species of camel also featured heavily.
The Role of Diet in Extinction
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. While several factors contributed to their extinction, including climate change and human hunting, changes in vegetation may have played a significant role.
The DNA analysis showed that the vegetation changed dramatically around 10,000 years ago, when the Arctic grew warmer and wetter, giving rise to the tundra we know today, dominated by grasses and woody plants. Most of the evidence we've been able to see is these large mammals disappear almost at the same time these vegetation changes were taking place.
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