The Woolly Mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius ) and the American Mastodon ( Mammut americanum ) both roamed the North American wilderness until roughly 10,000 days BCE ( although a few singular “ dwarf mammoths ” managed tohold out for a good while longer ) . But what exactly is it that sic them aside ? ( And yes , there wereseveral other speciesof both Mammoth and Mastodon , but for simplicity ’s interest , we ’ll focus on the two most famous . )
Let ’s set off with a quick aspect at their syndicate tree diagram . The group of land mammal scientifically known as “ proboscidian ” contains living elephants and their ancient kin . In its heyday , this was a pretty diverse lot . Twenty - first century elephant are far more closely akin to mammoth than the comparatively - crude mastodont .
desire test copy ? Check out their teeth . Just like today ’s tusker , Mammoths tended to live in wide clear plains , as demonstrated by their very elephant - like molars , each of which looked like a bony cheese - grater and was work up to crunch up tough grasses . Conversely , the Bible “ Mastodon ” literally intend “ nipple tooth . " This is because the vallecula in their chompers reminded some eighteenth one C paleontologists of human breasts . High - crowned teeth like this are better suited for mashing leaves and sprig , and , appropriately , Mastodon remains are unremarkably found in forested environments . you’re able to see the animals ’ jaw compare side - by - side in this clip at the 0:26 - bull’s eye :
Furthermore , as expert Daniel Fisher explained in the video recording above , Mammoths have curve tusk and high shoulders while mastodon have straighter ivory and scurvy shoulder .
Thanks to a smattering of frozen carcasses , genetic analysis have long - since confirmed the link between Mammoths and elephants . In fact , MammuthusDNA has been so broadly speaking studied that aMammoth Genome Project is in the works .
mastodont have had their admirer as well , including Thomas Jefferson himself , who actuallystored a ingathering of their bones in the White House — though he did erroneously believe that they weregigantic carnivores .
