Raising a mammoth calf is not a simple task and requires a significant amount of milk from the mother elephant. A new study on the nurturing habits of extinct mammoths thousands of years ago has revealed this.
The analysis of an intact tusk from a young mammoth showed that the calf was cared for by its mother for over 4 years and depended on a calorie-rich milk supply to survive the harsh Arctic conditions.
“Elephant tusks are a valuable source of data about the lives of ancient mammoths and other trunked animals. Like modern elephants, mammoth tusks grow throughout their lives, adding a new thin layer of ivory each day,” said Adam Rountrey from the Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan.
By analyzing these layers with chemicals found in the tusks, researchers could estimate how long the animal lived, its diet, and whether it suffered from malnutrition or was well-nourished by its mother.
“However, a challenge in reconstructing the life history of mammoths is that the pointed end of the tusk, which contains layers formed from birth, is often worn down or broken. This means that the earliest records of life are often missing,” Rountrey explained.
The researchers analyzed the tusk of a young mammoth from Wrangel Island, located in northeastern Siberia, which had a nearly intact tip. To determine if the mammoth was weaned, the researchers examined the carbon and nitrogen content of the tusk.
“Milk has a higher nitrogen content and lower carbon content compared to the grasses that the animal eats, and these differences appear in the tusk of the calf cared for by its mother,” Rountrey noted.
The results indicate that weaning occurred gradually over a period of at least 4 years, possibly extending beyond 6 years.
“For African elephants, weaning typically happens around 5 years,” said the study’s lead author, Professor Daniel Fisher at the University of Michigan.
At least until the third year of life, mammoth calves were fed high-fat milk, a result of the mother storing fat and protein sources. The milk likely provided a substantial amount of calories to help the calf endure the harsh Arctic conditions, ensuring sustainable growth when food was scarce.
Professor Larry Agenbroad from Northern Arizona University remarked that the study has recreated the life and death of ancient trunked animals in a completely new and accurate way, allowing for precise comparisons with modern elephants today.
M.T. (according to Discovery)
