mammoths

The last populations of woolly mammoths lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Siberia. Comparison of specimens from Wrangel Island and the Siberian mainland show that the island populations accumulated a number of genetic mutations that would adversely affect the last living mammoths.

Mammoths, among the largest proboscideans to ever roam the northern hemisphere, hailed from modern day’s Africa. The giants branched out from the relatively smaller African mammoth (Mammuthus africanavus), and adapted to live in many different environments.

While adult megaherbivores were too large for predators to take down, juvenile mammoths, mastodons, and ground sloths might have fallen prey to packs of sabretooth cats, cave lions and giant hyenas. This balance made sure there was enough plant matter for smaller animals to thrive on during Ice Age North America.