Unveiling the Columbian Mammoth - An Extinct Species of Mammals

The Columbian mammoth, scientifically named Mammuthus columbi, is an extinct species of mammoth that once lived in North and South America. It was one of the last in a line of mammoth species which began with Mammuthus subplanifrons in the early Pliocene and came to its heightin the Pleistocene epoch. DNA studies have revealed that this species was likely a hybrid between woolly mammoths and another lineage descended from steppe mammoths; the hybridization happened more than 420,000 years ago. The pygmy mammoths found on California’s Channel Islands evolved from these Columbian mammoths. Reaching 4 m (13 ft) at the shoulders and 10 t (22,000 lb) in weight, they were among some of the largest animals to roam North American soil.


Their long curved tusks and four molars were designed for manipulating objects, fighting and foraging for food which mostly included sedges, grasses, and other types of plants. Bones, hair, dung, and stomach contents are all evidence of their long-time existence but unfortunately as it stands today no preserved carcasses can be found. Despite not inhabiting Canada's Arctic regions (which were instead home to woolly mammoths) there is evidence that their ranges may have overlapped at one point. Numerous sites contain multiple Columbian mammoth skeletons which could indicate incidents like droughts or locations which were natural traps where individuals accumulated over time.


During the few thousand years before their extinction they were known to coexist with Paleoamericans - considered as some of the first humans to inhabit the Americas - who hunted them for food used their bones for tools creation and even depicted them in artworks throughout history. Unfortunately by 11500 years ago they disappeared most likely due to habitat loss caused by climate change or hunting by humans or both together combined.


Credit: Wikipedia. Transformed into video under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and fair-use for educational purposes.

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