British Mammoths

[Minimalist]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 061509.php

"Mammoths are conventionally believed to have become extinct in North Western Europe about 21,000 years ago during the main ice advance, known as the 'Last Glacial Maximum'" said Lister. "Our new radiocarbon dating of the Condover mammoths changes that, by showing that mammoths returned to Britain and survived until around 14,000 years ago."

As the Shropshire bones are the latest record of mammoths in North Western Europe they not only prove that the species survived for much longer than traditionally believed it also provides strong evidence to settle the debate as to whether mammoth extinction was caused by climate change or human hunting.

"The new dates of the mammoths' last appearance correlate very closely in time to climate changes when the open grassy habitat of the Ice Age was taken over by advancing forests, which provides a likely explanation for their disappearance," said Lister. "There were humans around during the time of the Condover mammoths, but no evidence of significant mammoth hunting."

So, it seems that mammoth hunting was a geographically determined task?

[kbs2244]

I don’t know if I agree with the idea that they were “open savanna” only type animals.
Over here in NA we have butcher sites from the Great Plaines to the upper Midwest to Florida.

At the one site in Wisconsin it was butchered in place in the swamp mud it was lured into.

The whole continent wasn’t savanna at the time.
So they seem to have pretty adaptable animals.

The same seems to be true of present day elephants.
We always think of them on the African savanna.
But I have seen videos of them “Surfing” down the sand dunes of Morocco to swim on the Atlantic.
So there seems to be “desert” elephants.
And in India they seem to enjoy the jungle.

[Rokcet Scientist]

And in India they seem to enjoy the jungle.

As they do in the remaining patches of the rain forests of the Congo, south-east Asia, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Not necessarily of choice, though. It is their last refuge on the run from man.
And we're cutting that too!

[Minimalist]

I tend to agree with kb's basic point which is that elephants are fairly adaptable creatures.

[Rokcet Scientist]

I tend to agree with kb's basic point which is that elephants are fairly adaptable creatures.

Yes. And so were mammoths: on Wrangel Island they morphed into dwarves, barely 5 to 6 feet tall. A 'strategy' that helped them survive until 5,000 BC. But ultimately it wasn't enough. And they went too. Like the elephants will, eventually. And basically 99% of species, sooner or later. Us too.
As I recall someone saying: "Evolution is the exception, extinction is the rule."