Woolly Mammoth Skeleton

Mammuthus primigenius
Pleistocene
Eastern Siberia, Russia
Woolly mammoths journeyed through the frozen wastelands of the last Ice Age as the largest mammals of their time. Approximately the size of the Asian elephant, their hairy body and storage of fat provided warmth; their heavy, shaggy coats consisted of an outer layer of long, dark hair with a layer of fine under-wool for insulation, their skin was dark gray with an underlying layer of insulating fat. Unlike modern elephant ears, the woolly mammoth’s ears were small (elephants use their ears to cool themselves and, as the mammoth lived in a cold environment, large ears were unnecessary.) Mammoths most likely used their long, curved tusks to sift the snow to forage for vegetation; males may have used their tusks in intra-species combat or competition for females.

The present woolly mammoth skeleton is excellently preserved, boasting approximately 90 per cent original bone. The fossil ivory tusks are present. Though the skeleton was recovered from permafrost, no remains of soft tissue are preserved, indicating that the animal’s carcass was exposed to the elements, causing decomposition, before it was permanently buried in the frozen soil. The specimen has been professionally mounted and stands nearly 11 feet in height.