Sometime between 1.7 million years ago and 1.5 million years ago, the Southern Mammoth (Mammuthus meridionalis) migrated into North America via the Beringian Land Bridge. By about 1 million years ago, the Columbia Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) had evolved from the Southern Mammoth.
The Columbian Mammoth stood up to 13 feet tall and weighed up to 10 tons. The mammoth flourished in North America until about 11,500 years ago. The mammoth grazed on grass. Mammoths had short necks which did not allow their mouths to reach the ground. Like modern elephants, they used their trunks to gather food from the ground and place it in their mouths.
Researchers estimate that a Columbian Mammoth consumed about 770 pounds of food per day (that is about 150,000 calories). Consuming this amount of food would have required grazing for 16 to 18 hours per day. The mammoth also had an inefficient digestive tract which absorbed only about 44% of what the animals ate.
One of the most readily noticeable features of the Columbian Mammoth is the large, greatly curved tusks which can reach up to 13 feet in length.
Mammoths are closely related to today’s Asian elephants.
During the Ice Age, the Columbian Mammoth (Mamuthus columbi) was the most common North American elephant. At Rancho La Brea, some mammoths grew to a height of thirteen feet.
Imperial Mammoth
The Imperial Mammoth (mammuthus imperator) was primarily a grazer who preferred open areas rather than forested areas. (Note: Ian Lange considers this to be a Columbian Mammoth.)
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