Mammoth or Mammuthus:

The name comes from the mansi language mang ont that means horn of the earth. They were the
same size as elephants or bigger and they weight from 7 to 12 tons.
Origin:
They first appeared in Africa around 4,8 millions years ago and expanded throughout Europe, Asia and
North America.
There are around a dozen species of mammoth knows. One is one of the biggest mammoths that have
ever existed; other one is one of the heaviest, with a weight of 900 kilos.
Characteristics:
1. Big head
2. Strong trunk
3. Long curved tusks up to 5 meters
4. According to their ecosystem they had long and thick hair
5. Big ears, but not as big as the modern elephants
Behavior:
They lived in herds and had a male leader, the male mammoths moved away from their herds when
they reached maturity and paired with females from other groups. They didnt tent to immigrate to
other regions with weather changes.
They tended to eat plants and tree barks.
Location:
They were located from the Eastern Europe through Siberia up to Alaska.
Extinction:
Most of the mammoths of the earth became extinct at the end of the ice age (a period when the
temperature of the earth went very low, as a result most of the earth was made of ice). There still no
scientific explanation for their extinction, thats why people believe there is not only one cause for their
death, instead they believe there were diverse motives for their disappearance.
It is believed that in Europe the extinction of this species dates back 14,000 years and in some areas of
the United States 7500 years ago.
One of the possible causes for the extinction of these animal was hunting, although it is not considered
the main cause, it was an important factor because humans ate mammoth meat already. Another
theory is viral illnesses, even though there are still no evidence that certifies this possibility.
Curiosities:
By cloning, scientists are attempting to reproduce a mammoth nowadays.