Ice Age Hunters Targeted Female Mammoths

Ice Age people in Eurasia and North America predominantly hunted female woolly mammoths, according to new genetic research. Scientists analyzed ancient DNA from over 500 mammoths, revealing that approximately 70% of mammoths found at human accumulation sites were female, while natural bone sites showed a higher proportion of males.

Researchers suggest that matriarchal herds, similar to modern elephants, may have exhibited more predictable migration patterns, making them easier for hunter-gatherers to locate and pursue. This predictability, combined with potentially smaller female mammoths and their reluctance to abandon young, could explain the hunting preference.

Ancient hunters likely employed sophisticated tactics, using terrain features like mud, bogs, or cliffs to immobilize their prey before attacking with spears or darts. The Kraków Spadzista site in Poland, dating back 25,000 to 30,000 years, yielded evidence of over 100 mammoths and butchery activities. Mammoths disappeared from mainland Eurasia and North America around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, with the last known population on Siberia's Wrangel Island vanishing approximately 4,000 years ago. The role of humans in their extinction remains a subject of debate.