mamutidae

Mamutidae is an extinct family of proboscideans that includes the mammoths. These large, elephant-like mammals roamed the Earth during the Pleistocene epoch, with fossil evidence found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Mammoths are characterized by their distinctive tusks, which could grow quite large and curved, and their thick, shaggy coats adapted for cold climates.

The most well-known member of this family is Mammuthus primigenius, the woolly mammoth. This species was particularly widespread and adapted to the Mammoth Steppe, a vast grassland ecosystem that covered much of the Northern Hemisphere during the last glacial period. Other mammoth species, like the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) and the steppe mammoth (Mammuthus trogontherii), occupied different geographical ranges and had varying physical characteristics.

Mammoths were herbivores, with their diet consisting mainly of grasses, sedges, and other vegetation. Their large molars were well-suited for grinding tough plant material. The extinction of mammoths, along with many other megafauna, occurred around the end of the Pleistocene, roughly 10,000 years ago. The exact causes of their extinction are still debated, but likely include a combination of climate change associated with the end of the ice age and increased hunting pressure from humans. Their remains, particularly well-preserved specimens found in permafrost, have provided invaluable insights into prehistoric life.