WOOLY MAMMOTH WOOL. ...

Description

WOOLY MAMMOTH WOOL
Mammathus primigenius
Pleistocene, Tarantian stage
Yakutia, Eastern Siberia
This is a fine selection of the hairy covering of the massive Ice Age Wooly Mammoth. Traipsing across the tundra over 10,000 years ago, this giant beast required a specialized covering of fur. Both types are present here: the soft, downy underfur that kept the animal warm, and the thick, coarse hairs of the outer layer, which acted as protection from precipitation and other wetness. The Mammoth also had subcutaneous glands that secreted oil into the fur, to act as a further repellant to water, the whole arrangement being a highly specialized adaptation to the Ice Age environment. A good quantity is presented here in a 16 x 12¼-inch Riker mount.

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