Mammoth

## Mammuthus

Credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

The mammoth is a genus of elephants that lived in the worldwide from the Early Pliocene to the Late Holocene.

## History

—Sergei Zimov
The word "mammoth" first occurs in Europe during the 17th century, referring to maimanto tusks from Siberia. John Bell (1722) at Ob River said these tusks were common in the area, called "mammon's horn", and often found in washed-out riverbanks. Some locals claimed to have seen living mammoths, stating they were nocturnal and disappeared underwater when found. He brought a specimen to Hans Sloan, who identified as an elephant tooth.

Native folklore from Siberia had several explanations for the fossil and mummified remains they found. The Khanty people believed they were water spirits, who lived underground, burrowing in tunnels and dying if it ever surfaced. A similar concept was known by the Chinese, who had received  ivory from the Siberians. It was named the yǐn shǔ 隐鼠, or "the hidden rodent". Thomas Jefferson is partially responsible for turning mammoth into an adjective describing large objects, to which the first usage of this variant described a large cheese wheel ("Cheshire Mammoth Cheese") used by Jefferson in 1802.

Mammoth remains become more common as time passes, especially in areas where permafrost lays. Due to climate change, permafrost is beginning to melt, revealing the remains of a bygone era once encased.

## Description

Mammoths were quite large, such as their modern relatives. The largest species reached 4 meters (13.1 feet) tall at the shoulder, and weighted up to 8 tonnes (8.8 short tons), with exceptionally-large males growing up to 12 tonnes (13.2 tons). However, most species are around the size of the Asian elephant, with both sexes of all species bearing tusks. Small tusks appeared at about 6 months of age, but were replaced by a permanent set at 18 months. The latter set grew at ~2.5-15.2 centimeters (1-6 inches) every year. With estimations based on modern elephants, mammoths likely had a gestation period of 22 months, where one calf was born. They likely had a social structure similar to African or Asian elephants, with a herd lead by a matriarch with bulls that lived in solitary or formed loose groups after sexual maturity. A frozen mammoth calf indicates fat greatly influenced their shape, enabling large amounts of nutrients to be stored to protect from harsh climate. Fat also allowed increased muscle mouth, allowing combat against enemies and a longer lifespan.

## Species

* *Mammuthus africanavus*
* *M. columbi*
* *M creticus*
* *M. exilis*
* *M. lamarmorai/lamarmorae*
* *M. meridionalis*
* *M. primigenius*
* *M. rumanus*
* *M. subplanifrons*
* *M. trogontherii/armeniacus*

## Gallery

*Mammuthus* at AMNHA mammoth bone uncovered from thawing permafrost from Duvanny Yar, a Russian locality.A mammoth and *Cervacles scotti* mounts at the Royal Ontario Museum.
**Credit: Clumsystiggy on DeviantArt.**Mammoth jaw and teeth at the Royal Ontario Museum.
**Credit: Clumsystiggy on DeviantArt.**Several Cenozoic creatures arranged by their diets. Green are herbivorous, purple are omnivorous, yellow are insectivorous and red are carnivorous.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammoth
2. ↑ https://news.sky.com/story/russias-permafrost-is-thawing-and-it-could-make-melting-polar-ice-caps-look-like-a-sideshow-12359940