Study: Climate Change Killed Mammoths
- 11 years ago
According to new research, the ancient creature known as a wooly mammoth didn’t go extinct from being over hunted by humans, but rather from changes in climate conditions.
According to new research the ancient creature known as a woolly mammoth didn’t go extinct from being over hunted by humans, but rather from changes in climate conditions.
Scientists at the Swedish Museum of Natural History working with London researchers, studied DNA samples taken from 300 woolly mammoths.
The scientists were able to determine the population size and migration patterns of the ancient animals in a certain area, at a certain time, as well as their genetic diversity.
Based on the data, the woolly mammoths probably started going extinct around 20 thousand years ago at the peak of the ice age due to cold temperatures that may have devastated the grass they fed on.
Professor Adrian Lister of the Natural History Museum said: “ The pattern seems to fit forcing by natural climate change: any role of humans in the process has yet to be demonstrated.”
There are some criticisms of the climate extinction theory, including the fact that the woolly mammoths went extinct after the planet started to get warmer again.
According to new research the ancient creature known as a woolly mammoth didn’t go extinct from being over hunted by humans, but rather from changes in climate conditions.
Scientists at the Swedish Museum of Natural History working with London researchers, studied DNA samples taken from 300 woolly mammoths.
The scientists were able to determine the population size and migration patterns of the ancient animals in a certain area, at a certain time, as well as their genetic diversity.
Based on the data, the woolly mammoths probably started going extinct around 20 thousand years ago at the peak of the ice age due to cold temperatures that may have devastated the grass they fed on.
Professor Adrian Lister of the Natural History Museum said: “ The pattern seems to fit forcing by natural climate change: any role of humans in the process has yet to be demonstrated.”
There are some criticisms of the climate extinction theory, including the fact that the woolly mammoths went extinct after the planet started to get warmer again.