Mammoth Hair Research :

Hair Identification with Microscope Slides

And Research fort Mammoth and Mastodon

November 24, 2000 prepared by Mélanie Villeneuve

Introduction

More than “…10 preserved mammoth carcasses were discovered from Siberian deposits . (Saunders, 1991)”.  Of the ten preserved mammoths, Yuribej Mammoth was discovered in 1979.  This mammoth died 10,000 +/- 70 years ago according to radiocarbon dating.  The Yuribej Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) was discovered in frozen Yuribej Lake, “…a young female 12 years of age at death.  (Saunders, 1991)”.  The organs and the other soft parts including hair has been preserved in part by the process of mineral replacement.  Most of the hair cover was present thus leading to a Mammoth hair study by Dr. Gennady F. Baryshnikov.  The purpose of this report is to study the Yuribej Mammoth hair, the underwool hair coat, the guard hairs, and the mammoth hair colour.

 

Diagram of the Mammoth skeleton

 

The Yuribej Mammoth Hair

            The Yuribej Mammoth coat has two types of hair; underwool and guard hair.  The very fine underwool kept the Yuribej Mammoth warm.  The coarse guard hair kept the moisture out of reach and kept the mammal dry.  The carcass of the Yuribej Mammoth found in 1979 had preserved hair of initial growth of the future winter coat (Saunders, 1991).  The hair structure between different species of mammoth  varies, for exemple, the Woolly Mammoth is 3 feet long and one-fifth of an inch in diameter, six times thicker than a human’s hair.  The inner coat of the Woolly Mammoth is fine textured and short, 1 to 3 inches long.  The density and distribution of the Columbian Mammoth’s hair is not yet known (Anderson, 1999).  Mammoth hair parts such as the distal, medial and proximal have not yet been studied.  The texture of the Mammoth guard hair is wiry, coarse to fine textured.  

Underwool Hair Coat

The mammoth’s dense fur was the result of adaptation and provided warmth to the animal.  In the case of the Yuribej Mammoth, the fur was preserved in an area that extended from the stomach to the groin and was composed mainly of thick underwool of 2.0 to 2.4 inches (5-6 cm) (Saunders, 1991).  A small portion of guard hair was present on the stomach and in the groin region, but it was mainly covered by the underwool hair coat.  Guard hairs were absent on the belly of the Yuribej Mammoth.  This would suggest that this body region would remain dry almost always.  The belly would then be exposed to cold climate, but by early winter the underwool would be thick enough to provide protection (Saunders, 1991).  This process would be the result of adaptation to harsh climate of Pleistocene.

Guard Hair

The Yuribej Mammoth had coarse, wire guard hairs that measured up to one metre (39.4 inches) (Saunders, 1991).  The guard hair kept the animal dry by dripping moisture away from it’s body.  Some Mammoth lived to age of sixty and may be older.  The Mammoth’s winter coat would regrow every year beginning in the fall season.  The first body regions to regrow hair for the winter were the tail, the ears and the trunk (Saunders, 1991).  In the summer, the Mammoth would probably moult (experience a loss of hair). This finer coat was an adaptation to the seasonal climate change.

Mammoth Hair Colour

The skin of the Woolly Mammoth was black and the fur coat was dark brown with yellow on the tip of the hair (Yuribej Mammoth study, no analysis can prove if it apply to all Mammoths).  This was caused by sand sticking to the hair.  The underwool appeared violet in colour when the sand was removed.  (Saunders, 1991). Scientists are uncertain whether the violet colour was caused by deterioration over time, or if it was the actual colour of the Yuribej Mammoth hair.

Also, part of the hair was rusty dur to staining by iron oxides and/or alteration by bleaching.  This is the explanation for preserved red or reddish hair and violet on stomach in the case of the Yuribej Mammoth.

The Woolly Mammoth hair was dark  brown colour.  Some frozen carcasses have been found with hair colours that range from blond to almost black.  Some carcasses have been found with orange-coloured hair.  This is probably the result of a lost of the pigment, due to a long periods of burial (Anderson, 1999).  In general, the hair colour on preserved carcasses varies from one specimen to another.

Introduction to Mammoth Species

Four different species of Mammoth have been recorded, the mastodon (Mammut americanum) which is often referred to as American Mastodont.  Mammut americanum had a shoulder height of approximately 8-10 feet and a weight range of 4-6 tons.   Another species of Mammoth is (Mammuthus imperator) which has the common name Imperial Mammoth.  This species is larger than Mastodont with a shoulder height of 14-16 feet, and a weight of approximately 8-10 tons.  The Columbian Mammoth or Mammuthus columbi had a shoulder height of 12-14 feet and weight around 8-10 tons.  Finally, Mammuthus primigenius which is the well-known Woolly Mammoth and had a shoulder height of approximately 9 feet and weighted between 7-9 tons (Mammoth Museum, 1998).

Frozen Mammoth Carcasses as well as tusks and skeleton structures were discovered in a wide range of regions: Northern Siberia, Wrangel Island, Alaska, Northern British Columbia, South Dakota, Sweden, Norway and all the way down to Mexico.  Each discovery of a Mammoth fragment would carry with it the name, and the location of where it was found.  For exemple, the Yuribej Mammoth was found in Yuribej Lake in Northern Siberia.  The Yuribej Mammoth also is identified a Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius).  The location name is used in order to identify which mammoth we are discussing.

Conclusion

In summary, the coat of the mammoth was made of two-layers; underwool and guard hair.  The animal’s coat was the result of climatic adaptation over time.  The Mammoth moulted as a seasonal adaptation and it’s fur colour varied upon the different discoveries of carcasses that preserved hair.  A detailed study of Mammoth hair needs to be undertaken.  Research of the hair print is essential to identify different species and also compare with the findings from modern mammals such as the elephant.  Since this type of research is a relatively new technique in zoology (1960’s) and there is limited information on hair printing which is the study of the distal, proximal, and medial (the three parts of the hair).  Mammoth hair print techniques in zoology present new and interesting challenges for the future paleontologists.

Diagram of the three parts of the hair