Mammoth is a mystery that has been exciting the curiosity of researchers for more than two hundred years. What were these prehistoric animals, how did they live and why did they die out? All these questions still do not have exact answers. Some scientists blame starvation for their mass death, others blame the ice age, others blame ancient hunters who destroyed herds for meat, skins and tusks. There is no official version.
Who are mammoths
The ancient mammoth was a mammal that belonged to the elephant family. The main species had sizes comparable to those of their close relatives - elephants. Their weight often did not exceed 900 kg, growth did not go beyond 2 meters. However, there were also more "representative" varieties, whose weight reached 13 tons, and a height of 6 meters.
Mammoths differed from elephants in their bulkier body, short legs and long hair. A characteristic feature is large curved tusks, which were used by prehistoric animals to dig out food from under snowy heaps. They also had molars with a large number of dentin-enamel thin plates that served to process fibrous roughage.
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The structure of the skeleton, which the ancient mammoth had, in many ways resembles the structure of the Indian elephant living today. Of greatest interest are giant tusks, the length of which could reach up to 4 meters, weight - up to 100 kg. They were located in the upper jaw, grew forward and bent upward, "parting" to the sides.
The tail and ears, tightly pressed to the skull, were small in size, there was a straight black bang on the head, and a hump stood out on the back. A large body with a slightly lowered back was based on stable legs-pillars. The feet had an almost horn-like (very thick) sole, reaching a diameter of 50 cm.
The coat had a light brown or yellowish-brown tint, the tail, legs and withers were decorated with noticeable black spots. Fur "skirt" fell from the sides, almost reaching the ground. The "clothes" of the prehistoric beasts were very warm.
Tusk
Mammoth is an animal whose tusk was unique not only for its increased strength, but also for its unique range of colors. The bones lay underground for several millennia, underwent mineralization. Their shades have gained a wide range - from purple to snow-white. The darkening caused by the work of nature increases the value of the tusk.
The tusks of prehistoric animals were not as perfect as the tools of elephants. They easily grinded, acquired cracks. It is believed that mammoths with their help obtained food for themselves - branches, tree bark. Sometimes the animals formed 4 tusks, the second pairdiffered in subtlety, often fused with the main one.
Unique colors make mammoth tusks in demand in the production of elite boxes, snuff boxes, chess sets. They are used to create gift figurines, ladies' jewelry, expensive weapons. Artificial reproduction of special colors is not possible, which is the reason for the high cost of products created on the basis of mammoth tusks. Real, of course, not fake.
Mammoth routine
60 years is the average life expectancy of giants who lived on earth several millennia ago. The mammoth is a herbivorous animal; its food was mainly herbaceous plants, tree shoots, small shrubs, and moss. The daily norm is about 250 kg of vegetation, which forced the animals to spend about 18 hours daily on food, constantly changing their location in search of fresh pastures.
Researchers are convinced that mammoths practiced a herd lifestyle, gathered in small groups. The standard group consisted of 9-10 adult representatives of the species, and calves were also present. As a rule, the role of the leader of the herd was assigned to the oldest female.
By the age of 10, animals reached sexual maturity. Mature males at this time left the maternal herd, moving to a solitary existence.
Habitat
Modern research has established that mammoths, which appeared on earth about 4.8 million years ago, disappeared only about 4 thousand years ago, and not 9-10, as previously thought. These animalslived in the lands of North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Bones of powerful animals, drawings and sculptures depicting them are often found at the sites of the ancient inhabitants of the Stone Age.
Mammoths in Russia were also distributed in large numbers, especially Siberia is famous for its interesting finds. A huge "cemetery" of these animals was discovered on the New Siberian Islands. In Khanty-Mansiysk, even a monument was erected in their honor. By the way, it was in the lower reaches of the Lena that the remains of a mammoth were first (officially) found.
Mammoths in Russia, or rather, their remains, are still being discovered.
Causes of extinction
Until now, the history of mammoths has big gaps. In particular, this concerns the causes of their extinction. Various versions are being put forward. The original hypothesis was put forward by Jean Baptiste Lamarck. According to the scientist, the absolute extinction of a biological species is not possible, it only turns into another. However, the official descendants of mammoths have not yet been identified.
Georges Cuvier does not agree with his colleague, blaming the death of mammoths on a flood (or other global cataclysms that took place during the period of the disappearance of the population). He argues that the Earth often experienced short-term catastrophes that completely exterminated a certain species.
Brocki, a paleontologist originally from Italy, believes that a certain period of existence is allotted to every living creature on the planet. The scientist compares the disappearance of entire species with the aging and death of an organism,therefore, in his opinion, the mysterious story of mammoths ended.
The most popular theory, which has many adherents in the scientific community, is climate. About 15-10 thousand years ago, due to the melting of the glacier, the northern zone of the tundra-steppe became a swamp, the southern one was filled with coniferous forests. Herbs, which previously formed the basis of the diet of animals, were replaced by moss and branches, which, according to scientists, led to their extinction.
Ancient hunters
How the first people hunted mammoths is still not exactly established. It was the hunters of those times who are often accused of exterminating large animals. The version is supported by products made from tusks and skins, which are constantly found in the sites of the inhabitants of ancient times.
However, modern research makes this assumption more and more doubtful. According to a number of scientists, people only finished off weak and sick representatives of the species, not hunting he althy ones. Bogdanov, the creator of the work "Secrets of the Lost Civilization", makes reasonable arguments in favor of the impossibility of hunting mammoths. He believes that the weapons possessed by the inhabitants of the ancient Earth, it is simply impossible to penetrate the skin of these animals.
Another good reason is stringy, tough meat, almost unfit for food.
Close relatives
Elefasprimigenius is the Latin name for mammoths. The name indicates their close relationship with elephants, as the translation sounds like "first-born elephant." There are even hypotheses that the mammoth is the progenitormodern elephants, which were the result of evolution, adaptation to a warm climate.
A study by German scientists that compared mammoth and elephant DNA suggests that the Indian elephant and the mammoth are two branches that have been traced back to the African elephant for about 6 million years. The ancestor of this animal, as shown by modern discoveries, lived on Earth about 7 million years ago, which makes the version have the right to exist.
Known specimens
"The Last Mammoth" is a title given to baby Dimka, a six-month-old mammoth whose remains were found by workers in 1977 near Magadan. About 40 thousand years ago, this baby fell through the ice, which caused his mummification. This is by far the best surviving specimen that has been discovered by mankind. Dimka has become a source of valuable information for those involved in the study of an extinct species.
Equally famous is Adams' mammoth, the first complete skeleton to be shown to the public. This happened back in 1808, since then the copy has been located in the Museum of the Academy of Sciences. The find belonged to the hunter Osip Shumakhov, who lived by collecting mammoth bones.
The Berezovsky mammoth has a similar history, it was also found by a tusk hunter on the banks of one of the Siberian rivers. The conditions for the excavation of the remains could not be called favorable, the extraction was carried out in parts. The preserved mammoth bones became the basis forgiant skeleton, soft tissues - the object of study. Death overtook the animal at the age of 55.
Matilda, a prehistoric female, was discovered by schoolchildren. An event happened in 1939, the remains were discovered on the banks of the Oesh River.
Rebirth is possible
Modern researchers continue to be interested in such a prehistoric animal as the mammoth. The significance of prehistoric finds for science is nothing less than the motivation underlying all attempts to resurrect it. So far, attempts to clone the extinct species have not yielded tangible results. This is due to the lack of material of the required quality. However, research in this area does not seem to stop. At the moment, scientists rely on the remains of a female found not so long ago. The specimen is valuable in that it has preserved liquid blood.
Despite the failure of cloning, it has been proven that the appearance of the ancient inhabitant of the Earth has been restored exactly, as well as his habits. Mammoths look exactly as they are presented on the pages of textbooks. The most interesting discovery is that the closer the period of residence of the discovered biological species to our time, the more fragile its skeleton is.
