Pygmy Mammoth

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iPygmy Mammoth
Conservation status
Prehistoric
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Mammuthus Species: M. exilis
Binomial name
Mammuthus exilis Maglio, 1970

The Pygmy Mammoth, also known as the Channel Islands Mammoth, (Mammuthus exilis) was a dwarfed descendant of full-sized mammoths, possibly Mammuthus columbi, the Columbian Mammoth. M. exilis lived on the northern Channel Islands of California of Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, and San Miguel Island. The ancestral mammoth probably swam across the Santa Barbara Channel about 20,000 years BC. At the time, these three islands, along with Anacapa Island formed a single land mass known as Santa Rosae. It died out due to excessive hunting by prehistoric Indians, and climatic changes.

M. exilis stood about 120-240cm (4-8 feet) high at the shoulder.

[edit] See also

• Pygmy Elephant
• Dwarf elephant
• Insular dwarfism

[edit] References

• Channel Island Park update on pygmy mammoth
• Agenbroad, L. D. Channel Islands (USA) pygmy mammoths (Mammuthus exilis) compared and contrasted with M. columbi, their continental ancestral stock.