Mammoth and Ice Age

Subcategories

• Mammoth

  Mammoths are a type of extinct elephant-like animals that existed in the Pleistocene era. Different types of mammoths have existed side by side. The best-known mammoth is the woolly mammoth. Furthermore, in Europe there were the Steppe mammoth, the Southern mammoth and the Dwarf mammoth. In North America there were the species of Imperial mammoth and the American mammoth. Mammoth remains are quite common as fossils.  The mammoths became extinct after the end of the last ice age, approximately 7,000 to 10,000 years ago.

• Steppe Bison

  Just like the mammoths, Steppe Bison were herbivores that lived on the steppe plains of Northern Europe during the last ice age. The Bison probably existed in large numbers and we can see that in the amount of fossils. The current Bison that still occur in Europe are descendants of the Steppe Bison.

• Cave Bear and Brown Bear

  The Cave Bear was a large bear species with large canines that lived during the Pleistocene. It lived in large parts of Europe. These bears were much larger and heavier than the Brown Bear that also occurred in Europe during the same period. Both bear species were largely herbivores.

• Woolly Rhinoceros

  The woolly rhinoceros was a large herbivore that lived in Northern Europe during a large part of the Pleistocene period. It became extinct after the last ice age. Fossils of this species occur regularly, but are much rarer than fossils of, for example, the Steeppe Wisent, the Prehistoric Horse and the Mammoth.

• Prehistoric Horses

  The prehistoric horses that lived in the Ice Age were much smaller than most modern horses. The prehistoric horses were grazers on the large steppe plains that covered a large part of Northern Europe. After the Ice Age, the descendants of the prehistoric horses were eventually domesticated by humans.

• Deers and Reindeers

  In and around the Ice Age, several species of deer occurred in Northern Europe. Including the Roe Deer, Giant Deer, Red Deer, Reindeer and Elk. Fossil bones and parts of antlers have been found from all of these species.  

• Other Mammals

  In the last ice age, in addition to the more well-known ice age animals, many more species occurred. Fossils of beavers and wild boars have been found. Much rarer, but various predators also occurred. Such as the cave hyena, cave lion or wolf. In North America, many other species occurred in the Pleistocene era, such as the Oreodont.