Towering over 11 feet tall and weighing 6 tonnes, the Woolly Mammoth ruled the Ice Age. But how did these mighty beasts thrive for over 100,000 years—and why did they disappear?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes kicks off a brand-new Ice Age miniseries with two leading experts. Professor Adrian Lister from the Natural History Museum explores the mammoth’s origins, evolution and adaptation to the harsh Ice Age climate. Then, Professor David Meltzer reveals the story of mammoths in North America, their encounters with early humans, and the astonishing discovery that some still roamed the Arctic just 4,000 years ago.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKAll music courtesy of Epidemic Sound
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The woolly mammoth, a great beast that has become synonymous with the Ice Age. More than 11 feet tall and 6 tons in weight when fully grown, covered in thick fur and possessing two mighty curved tusks, woolly mammoths roamed across great grassy plains for over 100,000 years, before they ultimately went extinct. There have even been attempts to bring mammoths back through their DNA.
They are an incredibly popular extinct animal that fascinates so many of us, So what do we know about these massive beasts? How often were they hunted by humans? And why eventually did they go extinct? It's The Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host. Welcome to the first episode of a brand new mini-series this February all about the Ice Age.
Every Sunday we'll be covering a story from this extraordinary epoch, from mammoths and other great megafauna that once roamed the Earth, to Neanderthals and extinctions at the end of the Ice Age. To kick off this new series, we're covering the Woolly Mammoth, this fan favourite Ice Age animal. This episode will feature not one, but two leading experts.
First, a chat with the Natural History Museum's Professor Adrian Lister, a paleobiologist and leading expert on the woolly mammoth. Adrian will explain their origins and how they were built to survive in cold conditions from tusk to tail.
Following that, we have an interview with Professor David Meltzer from Southern Methodist University, who has been on the podcast twice before to talk about Ice Age America and the first humans who settled that land during the Ice Age.
He's back on the show to explain the story of woolly mammoths in and around North America, including a fascinating study that revealed mammoths still alive 4,000 years ago in the remote Arctic of northeast Siberia. I really hope you enjoy. First up is Professor Adrian Lister. Let's get into it. Adrian, it is wonderful to have you on the podcast today. Very nice to be here.
Now, the woolly mammoths, but also, I guess, mammoths in general in prehistoric times. Surely they must be one of the most iconic prehistoric animal groups to have ever roamed this earth. The name and the word mammoth is still very popular today.
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