More about mammoths : Behavior

Did Mammoths Fight with Their Tusks?

Just like elephants, male mammoths got into fights over females. They butted heads, clashing their tusks together when they fought.

How do we know?

Excavation of two bull mammoths with tusks locked together - Nebraska, 1962.

In Nebraska, a unique fossil was found showing this behavior. The fossil contains two mammoth skulls with their tusks stuck together. The mammoths must have been fighting, got their tusks stuck, and then died because they couldn’t eat. There are many other fossils of mammoths with broken tusks. They were probably broken from fighting. We find broken tusks of elephants today that are broken from fighting as well.

• Did mammoths live in groups?

• Did mammoths fight with their tusks?

• How did mammoths scratch their backs?

• How did mother mammoths take care of their young?

• Did mammoths migrate?

<< Back to More about mammoths.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0741583.