Ice Age humans likely hunted female mammoths, ancient DNA reveals

An international team of researchers has uncovered compelling evidence suggesting that humans during the Ice Age preferentially hunted female woolly mammoths. This conclusion, drawn from the analysis of ancient DNA from over 500 mammoth bones, points to sophisticated hunting strategies and potentially complex social dynamics.

The study, which involved sequencing genomic data from 521 woolly mammoths, revealed a stark contrast in the sex ratio of mammoth remains found at different locations. Mammoths from natural, dispersed sites were predominantly male (66%), aligning with the theory that solitary males were more likely to die in natural traps. However, mammoths recovered from sites associated with human activity were overwhelmingly female (70%).

Researchers hypothesize that the preference for female mammoths might be due to their slightly smaller size, making them potentially easier to hunt. However, a more compelling explanation relates to the social structure of mammoths, which may have resembled that of modern elephants. In such a structure, females form herds led by a matriarch, while males are expelled upon reaching adulthood. This social organization could have made female herds more predictable or easier to track and hunt, despite potentially facing coordinated defense from adult females protecting younger members.

David Díez del Molino from the University of Stockholm, a key researcher in the study, noted that these findings are based on current hypotheses and that further research, including more ancient DNA and isotopic data, is needed to fully understand the complex reality of Ice Age mammoth hunting.