The Growth and Decline of the Ice Fields in North America
Courtesy of Illinois State Museum
This magnificent creature roamed the Earth for millions of years. It's legacy will live on for generations.....
Before and during the Ice Age, Mammoths thrived all over the world. Ten thousand years ago they completely disappeared with the exception of the Dwarf
Mammoths found in small populations on remote Siberian Islands. The Dwarf Mammoths were still alive until approximately Two to Three Thousand years ago. Many theories have been proposed based on changes in the environment as well
has human influences. After four million years of evolution, what happened
to the Mammoths?
Mammoths can be traced back to approximately 55 million years ago, a mere ten million years after
the last dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Mammoths were first located in the
tropical woodlands of Africa, but later migrated to Pleistocene Europe and Siberia.
They eventually went to North American via the Bering Sea's land bridge during the middle and upper pleistocene. Mammoths were related to the modern elephant but were not their ancestors.
They came from a separate branch of the family tree.
Mammoths and Humans lived during the Pleistocene archeological period. The archive of evidence of
the way Humans used Mammoths prove the importance of the species in the
existence of our ancestors. The bones of Mammoths had a diverse use with the Human species. They used Mammoth bones to build their homes, make tools and weapons as well as sculptures. Fossil Mammoth ivory is still being used today to make jewelry and ornaments.
Mammoth remains have been found on four different continents in a wide
variety of locations. Many have been found still frozen in Siberia and
Alaska. Other remains have been found in areas like the desert, tar pits,
caves and mines. Each find is unique. Some have been found with flesh
still attached to their bones while others have been found in what was
once a sink hole with many other species of Ice Age animals.. It has
been possible to learn about these animals and their way of life because
of all the evidence gathered from these various sites. A thorough picture
of the past has been preserved. Remains of Dwarf Mammoths have been found on isolated islands and seem to be the last Mammoths to have survived on Earth.
Send A Smoke Signal
Source: A special thank you to Adrian Lister and Paul Bahn for the book "Mammoths". Most of the information on this site is from their book.
Last Updated: May 1, 1999
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