Woolly Mammoth

Alaska State Fossil

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Woolly mammoth fossil

Woolly Mammoth fossil at La Brea Tar Pits, California: photo © 1990 David Morgan-Mar: DM's Photo Gallery (used by permission).

Official State Fossil of Alaska

The woolly mammoth was designated the official state fossil of Alaska in 1986. All State Fossils

Giant grass-eaters of the Ice Age tundra, the woolly mammoth stood 10-12 feet (3-3.7 meters) tall at the shoulder and weighed 6-8 tons. Nebraska also designates the mammoth as a state symbol, and Michigan recognizes the giant mastodon.

What's the Difference between a Mammoth and a Mastodon?

Mastodons had straighter tusks than the woolly mammoth, and both the body and head of the mastodon is longer and squatter than the woolly mammoth (its back doesn't slope like a mammoth's).

Alaska

Images

Mammoth skeleton photo by John Kannenberg on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).

Woolly mammoth fossil skeleton

Videos

Evolution of the woolly mammoth - BBC science