Where Woolly Mammoths Roamed, Humans Trailed Close Behind

The tale of one female woolly mammoth, written in the layers of her tusk, has shown researchers how the extinct megafauna species moved across Alaska with humans right on their heels.

By Jack Knudson
Jan 17, 2024 7:00 PMJan 17, 2024 7:01 PM
Three mammoths being watched by a family of ancient Alaskans
Artwork shows three mammoths being watched by a family of ancient Alaskans from the dunes near the Swan Point archaeological site, a seasonal hunting camp occupied 14,000 years ago. (Credit: Image by Julius Csostonyi)

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As Woolly Mammoths trekked across Alaska thousands of years ago, hunter-gatherers followed their every step. New research on the journey of a 14,000-year-old mammoth named Élmayųujey’eh — Elma, for short — has further illustrated the travels of beast and human alike throughout this prehistoric expanse.

Researchers at the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility learned of Elma’s odyssey by analyzing isotopes from her tusk, which was first identified in 2009 at the Swan Point archaeological site in Interior Alaska. Her life and its connection to human activity have been described in a recent paper published in Science Advances

How do we Know the Mammoths' Migration Patterns?

Elma’s tusk, according to a press release, worked remarkably well as a gateway into her past. This is because tusks grow as the species ages; when a tusk is split lengthwise, researchers see visible layers that distinguish different slices in the chronology of a mammoth’s life.

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