mammoths

Mammoths are extinct members of the genus Mammuthus, within the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea. They lived across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America from the Early Pleistocene to the late Holocene, with the group adapted to cold environments through features such as long, shaggy fur, varied hair length, and large tusks. The best known species is the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), famous for its dense undercoat and curved tusks used for foraging and social display.

Several other species inhabited different regions and times, including the steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii) in temperate Eurasia, the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) in North America, and the imperial mammoth (Mammuthus imperator) also in North America. These species varied in size and anatomy but shared adaptations for cold or seasonal environments and herbivorous diets. Dental changes, particularly the pattern of molar replacements, reflect shifts in vegetation over time.

Mammoths were social, relying on herds for foraging and protection. They fed on grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation, using their trunks to gather food and manipulate objects. Reproduction produced calves after long gestation periods, and adults could live several decades.

Extinction occurred mainly in the late Pleistocene to early Holocene, around 10,000 years ago in most regions, with isolated populations surviving on some Arctic islands until about 4,000 years ago. Factors likely included climate change, habitat alteration, and human hunting. Fossil and genetic evidence continue to illuminate their diversity, ecology, and relationship to modern elephants.