Woolly Mammoth

The woolly mammoth is a close relative of modern elephants. Its hairy coat helped it to keep warm while it foraged for grasses to eat during the end of the ice age, 400,000 to 4,000 years ago. Herds of woolly mammoths had a broad range across northern Europe and Asia, and North America.

History: The woolly mammoth was scientifically named in 1799, but at this time it was placed in the same genus as the modern Asian elephant. It was eventually given a new genus name in 1828 – Mammuthus. Many types of mammoth have been named since then, but only one species, Mammuthus primigenius, goes by the common name of woolly mammoth. It is known from hundreds of skeletons, tusks, and teeth, as well as mummified preserved specimens.