Dumb boy mammoths died all the time because they didn't live with smart girl mammoths

Woolly mammoths.
(Image credit: iStock)

The vast majority of wooly mammoth fossils are male, a mystery that has long puzzled paleontologists. Now researchers believe they have stumbled on a simple answer, AFP reports: Boy mammoths, who mainly lived alone, were more likely to take dumb risks that got them swept into rivers or dropped down sinkholes than girl mammoths, who lived communally and followed the directions of a wise, older matriarch.

That is the conclusion reached by Love Dalen of the Swedish Museum of Natural History, who co-authored the groundbreaking study published Thursday in Current Biology. "Without the benefit of living in a herd led by an experienced female, male mammoths may have had a higher risk of dying in natural traps such as bogs, crevices, and lakes," Dalen said. Typical.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.