Link #50: Mammoths Were Alive When Ancient Egyptians Were Thriving!

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Link #50: Mammoths Were Alive When Ancient Egyptians Were Thriving!

Woolly_mammoth_(Mammuthus_primigenius)_-_Mauricio_Antón
Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius). Image credit: Mauricio Antón cc2.5

The Arctic Ocean is a real treasure trove of wonders. Not only is it the smallest ocean in world and has the Midnight Sun and Polar Nights, it is also the last known place where the Woolly Mammoths used to live.

In fact, there is an island in the Arctic Ocean where the woolly mammoths are known to have lived while the Egyptians were building their civilisation. The island was called the Wrangel Island.

This isn’t all. Another species of the mammoth is known to have lived on Saint Paul Island located in the Bering Sea. Don’t believe us? Consider the following.

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When Did the Last Mammoths Live?

TUTANKHAMUN-Death Mask
Image credit: Harry (Howard) Potts cc2.0

As per archaeological research, mammoths are known to have lived in separate and isolated locations up to 6,400 years ago. However, this was the dwarf variety of mammoths living on the Saint Paul Island between the United States and Russia.

The woolly mammoth, though, is known to have lived even longer. Scientists believe that the woolly mammoth survived on the Wrangel Island located in the Arctic Ocean up until 4,000 years ago.

The mammoths on Saint Paul Island died out due to natural causes such as habitat extinction. However, when it comes to the mammoths on Wrangel Island, consequential proof suggests that the sudden extinction of the mammoths coincided with the arrival of humans. These periods coincide with the peak of the Egyptian Civilisation.


Woolly Mammoths Lived When the Pyramid of Giza Was Built!

Giza-pyramids
The Giza-pyramids and Giza Necropolis, Egypt, seen from above. Photo taken on 12 December 2008. CC-ZERO

Woolly mammoths lived between 2,500 and 2,000 BC on Wrangel Island. In addition, the mammoth population of Saint Paul Island was alive up until 3,750 BC. The Great Pyramid of Giza, which is the oldest standing structure made by man, is known to have been completed in 2,560 BC.

The construction period of the Great Pyramid of Giza was about 10 to 20 years which means that while it was being built, mammoths still survived in the world. Amongst the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest.


Mammoths Were Like Today’s Elephants

African Elephant, Loxodonta africana
African Elephant, Loxodonta africana in Mapungubwe. Image credit: Derek Keats cc2.0

Mammoths were the evolutionary ancestors of today’s elephants. They were even the same size as the African elephants of today and displayed the same kind of behaviour. They were herbivores and mainly survived on grass.

Since they coexisted with our own evolutionary ancestors, they were hunted for a wide variety of things such as ivory in their tusks, their fur coats, and even for food. It is also a well-known fact that our evolutionary ancestors used mammoths’ bones for creating crude dwellings.

Similarly, the bones of mammoths were used for many other things such as tools, artwork, furniture and even fuel. This is one of the reasons why mammoths became extinct about 10,000 years ago in all but a few isolated places like the Saint Paul Island and the Wrangel Island.

The other main reason why Mammoths became extinct is that the climate changed. The changing climate resulted in the habitat of the mammoths shrinking. The mammoths were basically suited for the last ice age and boasted of thick fur and other adaptations for extremely cold climates.




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Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrangel_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Paul_Island_(Alaska)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth#Relationship_with_humans
http://www.heritagedaily.com/2013/11/mammoths-still-walked-the-earth-when-the-great-pyramids-were-being-built/100307

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