Mammoths ENG
Mammoths are among the most iconic and most widely known prehistoric animals that roamed the planet until recent past. They saw greatest development in Pleistocene. While most of them became extinct towards the end of the last ice age (approx. 10,000 years ago), several isolated populations lived until approx. 4000 years ago. They were related to present-day proboscideans and, contrary to common belief, they were not bigger than present-day elephants. Evidence proves that there were miniature island forms of mammoths with less than 2 metres in size. Their most distinctive feature were long tusks developed from front teeth – incisors, which served for digging in snow for food. Their body was covered with thick warm red fur with a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which helped them to survive in extremely cold weather. Their home were grassy steppes and tundra mostly in Europe and Asia, but seasonal migrations led them even to North America. They were herbivores grazing rather poor vegetation of steppes and tundra. Mammoths were frequent prey or prehistoric people; in some cases, mammoth meat constituted the prevalent part of their diet. In addition, mammoth tusks (mammoth ivory) were used as a material for decorative items, while the hide and bones served as a building material. The likely cause of mammoths’ extinction was the change in global climate, but their downfall was apparently hastened even by human activities.
The remains of mammoths frozen in ice are sometimes found in northern Siberia. In our territory, there have been finds from Moravian areas with prehistoric settlement or hunters. The Nová Paka region has yielded rare finds of mammoth molars around Lázně Bělohrad – an area close to the Geopark.