The article tells about the scope of mammoth tusks, where and how they are mined, who are mammoths and why they died out.
Ancient times
Life on Earth has existed, according to scientists, for more than 3 billion years, and during this time many species of living organisms have changed on it, from the invertebrate inhabitants of the ancient oceans to dinosaurs.
Their remains in one form or another have come down to our times through the process of petrification. But there is another type of ancient animal whose bodies have survived despite a huge period of time, and these are mammoths.
Contrary to popular belief, mammoth tusks were not a weapon, but served as a tool for grazing. The last representatives of this species died out about 10 thousand years ago, at a time when a reasonable person was already coming into his own on Earth. However, thanks to numerous finds of well-preserved remains of giants, scientists know quite a lot about mammoths. And the tusks of these giants are of interest not only to researchers of the once existing fauna.
Why are they needed?
The answer to this question is simple: it's all about profit. Due to their good preservation, mammoth tusks are highly valued on the black market: of themthey make a lot of things from souvenirs and animal figurines to real works of art that are valued at millions of dollars. But how can a bone survive if it has lain in the ground for tens of thousands of years?
It's all about the natural conditions of Siberia. Due to the permafrost, the remains are not subjected to fossilization, being all this time in the natural "refrigerator". Also excellent conditions for them are the beds of swampy rivers and just swamps. Without access to oxygen, the development of bacteria and decay is minimal there, which is why mammoth tusks are preserved so well.
Who mines them and where sells them?
You can meet the remains of these once living giants all over the world, but they are especially common in Europe and Siberia. The most “fishy” place for paleontologists and “black seekers” is Yakutia.
The area covered with swampy tundra is the best suited for preserving representatives of the ancient fauna. Mammoth remains are recovered from exposed permafrost, eroded coastal areas and swamps.
This process is very complex, painstaking and dangerous, and local residents are engaged in it. It is noteworthy that after each find, they perform rituals to praise the spirits they believe in.
According to some reports, the value of quality tusks on the black market is from 25 thousand rubles. So the remains of mammoths for the inhabitants of those parts are a very good help, so they are engaged in this whole villages.
Legality
Of course, such activitiesis illegal, and scientists have long been sounding the alarm about the loss of research material.
Of course, one can argue that there are a lot of tusks, but nevertheless, finding them is becoming more and more difficult. The question arises: why are law enforcement officers not following this? Probably, due to the vast territory, it is extremely difficult to keep this region under control.
Locations
As already mentioned, most often mammoth tusks are found in Siberia. But giants lived all over the world, there are three groups in total - Asian, American, and intercontinental. Fragments of mammoth tusks are often found in North America and in the Scandinavian region. But their safety is much worse than that of the Siberian finds.
Why mammoths died out
It is still debated why these ancient giants, reaching a height of 5 meters and weighing more than 10 tons, died out? What could threaten such a huge animal? Of course, the predators in those days were larger than the current ones, but still scientists offer two versions.
The first is the Ice Age. Mammoths were covered with thick wool and, unlike modern elephants, were not afraid of the cold. But in the conditions of harsh Siberia, global cooling seriously crippled the population.
The second version is the human influence. In those days, people actively hunted giants, using cunning and various traps. Numerous excavations of mammoths in Russia and sites of primitive people confirm that the latter are veryactively exterminated them.
Mammoth Roast
Among Siberian hunters since time immemorial, a very popular story is about how a certain miner stumbled upon the remains of a mammoth in the permafrost, and in a natural “refrigerator” they were preserved so well that they cooked the meat on a fire and ate it.
This is actually not true. Mammoth flesh, after millennia of being in the ground, gradually loses collagen, and becomes a waxy substance unsuitable for food, and simply melts from heat treatment. But the legend, without a doubt, is interesting. A similar story can be read in the book "Aelita" by Alexei Tolstoy.
Thus, giant animals, even through the layers of centuries, continue to excite human minds.
