Pygmy Mammoth
Mammuthus exilis
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Chordata
Mammalia
Proboscidea
Elephantidae
Mammuthus
Mammuthus exilis
The Pygmy Mammoth — Mammuthus exilis was a remarkable example of island dwarfism, evolving from the massive Columbian mammoth into a much smaller form on the Channel Islands of California. Despite its reduced size, it retained all the iconic features of its giant ancestors — curved tusks, domed skull, and a woolly coat adapted to Ice Age climates.
Description
Pygmy Mammoth (Mammuthus exilis) — Descended from Mammuthus columbi, this island dwarf species evolved due to isolation on the California Channel Islands (notably Santa Rosae). Adults stood only 1.7–2 meters at the shoulder and weighed about 700–900 kg, roughly the size of a modern bison — a tenth the mass of its ancestor. It shared similar traits: long, spiraled tusks, a sloping back, and a trunk adapted for browsing low shrubs and grasses. M. exilis adapted perfectly to limited island resources and cooler coastal environments.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
1350
1.7
2.55
3
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
While direct evidence of hunting is scarce, M. exilis likely encountered early human settlers on the Channel Islands. Paleoindian artifacts found nearby suggest possible scavenging or opportunistic hunting. Island isolation and rising sea levels, coupled with human arrival and changing vegetation, likely contributed to their extinction around the same time as the Columbian mammoth’s disappearance on the mainland.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Santa Rosa Island, California (ca. 13,000 years ago) — M. exilis bones found near Arlington Springs human remains, suggesting overlap in habitation.
Santa Cruz Island, California (ca. 12,800 years ago) — Isolated bones with stone flake associations indicating butchery or scavenging.
San Miguel Island (ca. 13,000 years ago) — Mammoth remains in proximity to early Paleoindian tool sites.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
13000
BP
Late Pleistocene
North America
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
8
Est. Renderable Fat
108
kg
Targeted Organs
Marrow, brain, visceral fat
Adipose Depots
Visceral (perirenal/mesenteric), limited subcutaneous; marrow, brain lipids
Preferred Cuts
Long-bone marrow & braincase
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
5