Professor Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones

So what we're learning about these animals now goes beyond what traditional study of bones and even soft tissues. to the molecular level.

Yes. Another nice outcome actually, we're talking about the mammoth's coat, is about the color because many popular illustrations of mammoths show them with a kind of orangey colored coat. And the reason for that is that much of the hair that comes out of the permafrost with the carcasses is that orange kind of colour.

Yes. Another nice outcome actually, we're talking about the mammoth's coat, is about the color because many popular illustrations of mammoths show them with a kind of orangey colored coat. And the reason for that is that much of the hair that comes out of the permafrost with the carcasses is that orange kind of colour.

Yes. Another nice outcome actually, we're talking about the mammoth's coat, is about the color because many popular illustrations of mammoths show them with a kind of orangey colored coat. And the reason for that is that much of the hair that comes out of the permafrost with the carcasses is that orange kind of colour.

But I've suspected for a long time that this is not natural and that it's because pigment has actually leached out of the hair, you know, through the thousands of years of burial. And actually, recent DNA work has tended to confirm that.

But I've suspected for a long time that this is not natural and that it's because pigment has actually leached out of the hair, you know, through the thousands of years of burial. And actually, recent DNA work has tended to confirm that.

But I've suspected for a long time that this is not natural and that it's because pigment has actually leached out of the hair, you know, through the thousands of years of burial. And actually, recent DNA work has tended to confirm that.

And we now think based on some hair samples, which are a much darker, sort of a chocolatey brown colour, the DNA actually confirms that because we can get some of the genes which code for hair colour. And we know from living animals, you know, which variants of those genes code for brown hair, blonde hair, ginger hair.

And we now think based on some hair samples, which are a much darker, sort of a chocolatey brown colour, the DNA actually confirms that because we can get some of the genes which code for hair colour. And we know from living animals, you know, which variants of those genes code for brown hair, blonde hair, ginger hair.

And we now think based on some hair samples, which are a much darker, sort of a chocolatey brown colour, the DNA actually confirms that because we can get some of the genes which code for hair colour. And we know from living animals, you know, which variants of those genes code for brown hair, blonde hair, ginger hair.

And sure enough, all those orange pictures of mammoths need to be redone with kind of a chocolatey brown color, which was probably the original color.

And sure enough, all those orange pictures of mammoths need to be redone with kind of a chocolatey brown color, which was probably the original color.

And sure enough, all those orange pictures of mammoths need to be redone with kind of a chocolatey brown color, which was probably the original color.

Almost certainly, yes. The answer is yes, especially because all elephants, and that would have included mammoths, have actually a relatively inefficient digestion, unlike something like a deer or a cow, which has got a much more complicated stomach, and you know they chew the cud and so on, so they're getting the absolute max out of the food. So there's less left to come out of the rear end.

Almost certainly, yes. The answer is yes, especially because all elephants, and that would have included mammoths, have actually a relatively inefficient digestion, unlike something like a deer or a cow, which has got a much more complicated stomach, and you know they chew the cud and so on, so they're getting the absolute max out of the food. So there's less left to come out of the rear end.

Almost certainly, yes. The answer is yes, especially because all elephants, and that would have included mammoths, have actually a relatively inefficient digestion, unlike something like a deer or a cow, which has got a much more complicated stomach, and you know they chew the cud and so on, so they're getting the absolute max out of the food. So there's less left to come out of the rear end.

The mammoth probably, like living elephants, probably only got about 30, 40% of the nutrients out of its food, partly because that sort of grassy food is not terribly nutritious. There's an awful lot of bulk that is not going to be digested that would have come out of the rare red. So answer your question is, yeah. And, you know, fertilizing the ground, very important.

The mammoth probably, like living elephants, probably only got about 30, 40% of the nutrients out of its food, partly because that sort of grassy food is not terribly nutritious. There's an awful lot of bulk that is not going to be digested that would have come out of the rare red. So answer your question is, yeah. And, you know, fertilizing the ground, very important.

The mammoth probably, like living elephants, probably only got about 30, 40% of the nutrients out of its food, partly because that sort of grassy food is not terribly nutritious. There's an awful lot of bulk that is not going to be digested that would have come out of the rare red. So answer your question is, yeah. And, you know, fertilizing the ground, very important.

part of the ecosystem, actually, to be fertilising the ground in that way. And so more plants grow up and then they eat more plants and so on.