Woolly mammoths have long been a source of fascination and mystery. Native to the northern reaches of North America during the Ice Age, they are believed to have gone extinct approximately 10,000 years ago due to a combination of climate change, hunting by humans, and diseases.
Despite their extinction, woolly mammoths still hold an essential place in the natural history of North America. Fossils found from these animals provide evidence for their past existence on the continent and offer valuable insights into life during the Ice Age.
How did Woolly Mammoths go extinct?
Scientists have proposed several theories about why woolly mammoths went extinct. These include:
- Climate change: As the Earth warmed during the end of the Ice Age, their habitats changed and they could no longer survive in some areas.
- Hunting by humans: Humans hunted them for food and possibly wore their fur as clothing.
- Diseases: Disease could have been a factor, as it is with other species that go extinct.
- Lack of genetic diversity: Low genetic diversity could have left them vulnerable to disease and increased susceptibility to climate change.
- Competition by other animals: With changing climates came new species to compete with, who may have outcompeted them for food and resources.
The Most Interesting Extinction Theory?
One possible explanation for the extinction of the woolly mammoth is the Younger Dryas Impact Theory. This theory proposes that an extraterrestrial body such as a comet or asteroid collided with Earth roughly 12,800 years ago, triggering a sudden warming period known as the Younger Dryas. During this period, climates changed quickly and drastically throughout North America, leading to the decline and eventual extinction of many species, including the woolly mammoth.
The evidence for this theory is based on sediment core samples from around North America, which show a high concentration of nanodiamonds and platinum particles – both materials found in outer space objects – as well as an enormous carbon spike at around 12,800 years ago which could indicate an intense wave of heat.
Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson are some of the most well-known proponents of the Younger Dryas Impact Theory.
Hancock addresses this theory in depth in his Netflix show Ancient Apocalypse.