Mammoth Anatomy

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Carpals, Metacarpals, and Phalanges These bones show that the mammoth used to walk on its toes, exactly how a modern elephant does. This leads us to believe that the mammoth was a quiet walker, like elephants!

Humerus This would be the mammoth's "funny bone"!

Radius and Ulna The mammoth has a thin, curved radius and a sturdy, much bigger ulna!

Cranium The mammoth cranium, or skull, is shaped differently than ours and is much larger!

Tusks and Dentition The tusks of a mammoth are longer and more curved than those of an elephant's. These tusks are actually their incisors, which are very different from our incisors (our front teeth)! While us humans have incisors, canines, and molars, mammoths only have incisors and molars. Their molars are useful for chewing and grinding food, and are adapted to eating grasses. A picture of mammoth molars is shown below.

Ribcage The mammoth ribcage is large and barrel-shaped, perfect for protecting the internal organs of the mammoth!

Vertebrae (Spine) Notice that the mammoth vertebrae have long, bony protrusions!

Scapula The scapula of the mammoth is much longer and larger with respect to the humerus than compared to ours!

Femur The mammoth femur is strong and sturdy, which is important in order to support such a big mammal!

Tibia and Fibula The tibia of the mammoth is much larger and thicker than the fibula, two more bones that are crucial in supporting a large mammal!

Pelvis The pelvis of the mammoth is much longer than the pelvis of a human! We can tell whether a mammoth was male or female based on the width of the birth canal and the ilium (one of the pelvic bones).