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woolly mammoth
The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is an extinct species of mammoth, a genus in the elephant family. They are thought to have died out around 10,000 years ago, although scientists think small groups of them lived longer in Alaska and on islands off Siberia. The animal was roughly the same size as modern African elephants, with males reaching shoulder heights of 10 ft and weighing up to 6.6 tons, and females averaging 9 ft in height.
The woolly mammoth was well adapted to the cold environment during the last ice age by being covered in fur, with an outer covering of long guard hairs and a shorter undercoat. It had long, curved tusks and four molars, which were replaced six times during the animal's lifetime. Its behavior was similar to that of modern elephants, and it used its tusks and trunk for manipulating objects, fighting, and foraging. The diet of the woolly mammoth was mainly grass and sedges. Its habitat was the mammoth steppe, which stretched across northern Eurasia and North America.
Scientists have deciphered much of the woolly mammoth's genetic code from their hair, and some believe it's possible to clone them if living cells are found.
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