Pygmy mammothIn 1994, the first near-complete fossil of a pygmy mammoth skeleton was found in rapidly eroding sea cliffs on Santa Rosa Island, one of the Channel Islands of California. This is the only full sized skeleton of the species anywhere in the world, and the first to be dated. Scientists estimate the age by radiocarbon dating at 12,840 years old. The specimen stood 5-1/2 feet tall, and weighed about a ton. The pony-sized species, Mammuthus exilis, a distant relative of the modern elephant, is believed to have lived only on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz islands. Partial pygmy mammoth remains had been documented in previous decades. Paleontologists continue to discover more sites with the remains of these Pleistocene-era animals. |
