Pleistocene Era (Ice Age)
Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)
The Woolly Mammoth was a colossal herbivore that roamed the frozen tundras during the Ice Age. Closely related to modern Asian elephants, they were perfectly adapted to survive in extreme cold. Their bodies were covered in two thick layers of fur, and a substantial layer of fat beneath their skin provided insulation against temperatures as low as -50 degrees. Their most iconic features were their massive curved tusks, which could grow up to 15 feet long. These tusks were used for clearing snow to find vegetation, fighting rivals, and self-defense against predators like saber-toothed cats. Mammoths lived in herds and primarily grazed on grasses, sedges, and shrubs. They went extinct around 4,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and overhunting by early humans. Today, scientists are actively studying their well-preserved DNA found in permafrost.
