All articles tagged with #mammoths
Scientists sequenced ancient DNA from Columbian mammoths in Mexico, revealing unexpected genetic differences from northern populations and suggesting a more complex evolutionary history than previously thought, with implications for understanding species migration and diversity in the Americas.
New research suggests that the Clovis people, who migrated to North America around 13,000 years ago, heavily relied on mammoths for food and clothing, which may have contributed to the mammoths' extinction. The study, using isotopic analysis, found that mammoth meat constituted a significant portion of the Clovis diet, challenging previous assumptions of a more diverse diet. The findings also highlight the importance of consulting Indigenous communities in archaeological research, as demonstrated by the researchers' collaboration with tribes in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.
Researchers have found direct evidence that the Clovis people, who lived in North America around 13,000 years ago, primarily consumed megafauna, with mammoths making up a significant portion of their diet. This conclusion was drawn from chemical analysis of the bones of a child found in Montana, revealing the mother's diet. The study suggests that the Clovis' focus on large prey like mammoths may have contributed to megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Ice Age, as these animals faced new human predators amid ecological stress.
Colorado voters approved a measure to reintroduce woolly mammoths to the Western Slope by 2030, aiming to restore a critical element of the ecosystem and potentially help control wildfires. However, concerns have been raised by ranchers and property owners about the potential impact on their communities, as evidenced by the escapades of "Manny," an in vitro mammoth breaking down fences at a research facility in Wyoming.
Colossal Biosciences, a biotechnology company, has made progress in genetically resurrecting the woolly mammoth by producing Asian elephant stem cells that can be transformed into mammoth-like cells. However, ethical concerns and technical challenges remain, including the welfare of the animals, the potential impact on existing ecosystems, and the difficulty of teaching a resurrected mammoth to behave like its extinct ancestors. The company aims to use the technology for conservation efforts and climate change, but questions persist about the practicality and implications of bringing back extinct species.
Archaeologists have discovered 13,000-year-old blood residue from large mammals, most likely mammoths and mastodons, embedded in the sharpened stones that ancient Clovis people used for hunting. The 120 stones used in the study all came from North or South Carolina. The findings would shed new light on what might have caused the extinction of giant Ice Age herbivores.
A University of Florida paleontology team has discovered the remains of prehistoric creatures such as rhinos, mammoths, and sabretooth cats on a North Central Florida property. The team has been hand-digging the site for seven years and recently discovered the incredibly intact remains of a giant gomphothere, a 10,000-pound, four-tusk relative of an elephant that roamed the area before humans. Florida is one of the richest states when it comes to paleontology, and new discoveries are being made every day.
Hormonal signatures have been identified in woolly mammoth tusks for the first time, according to a paper published in Nature. The discovery opens up a new field of paleontology called palaeoendocrinology, which studies hormones in ancient species. The team used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify testosterone in the tusks of male elephants and woolly mammoths. The tusks record the life of the animal, including growth rings and hints of animal health, and the team hopes to identify additional hormones to gain further insight into the lives of extinct species.