3. Mammoths Lived in the Ice Age Only
The belief that mammoths exclusively inhabited the Ice Age is a common misconception. In reality, a population of woolly mammoths survived on Wrangel Island, located in the Arctic Ocean, until approximately 4,000 years ago, long after the end of the last Ice Age. This isolated group persisted for about 6,000 years in a stable environment, with no significant changes in their diet or habitat (theguardian.com). Genetic analyses indicate that this population experienced a severe bottleneck, originating from as few as eight individuals. Despite low genetic diversity, the population grew to between 200 and 300 individuals within 20 generations, maintaining stability until their extinction.
