Life on Earth began billions of years ago. Over time, many animals have disappeared, including the mammoth, which was larger than today’s elephants. Mammoths had giant fur and are believed to be ancestors of elephants. They vanished about four thousand years ago, but cave paintings suggest they were known to ancient humans even before then.
The exact reason for their extinction is debated. Some think hunting played a role, as mammoths provided meat, bones for weapons, and teeth for ornaments. However, mammoths vanished even before humans arrived in some places.
Researchers suggest that as the ice age ended, mammoths struggled to find food. The Earth warmed, forests replaced grasslands, and mammoths became isolated. They were well-adapted to cold climates but struggled in warmer temperatures.
Food and water shortages, along with continued hunting, may have hastened their extinction. Despite their ability to survive in various temperatures, mammoths couldn’t adapt to the changing environment fast enough to avoid disappearing from the Earth.
Mammoths, with their thick fur and large size, were well-suited to the icy conditions of the past. However, as the climate changed and forests replaced grasslands, their habitat dwindled, leading to scarcity of food and water. This environmental shift, combined with human hunting, likely contributed to their eventual extinction.
