Woolly Mammoths

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2025

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit.
0:08.1	With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatans, and enjoy a new release every week.
0:19.3	Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe.
0:25.4	Hello, it's Ed Gamble here
0:26.7	from the Off Menu podcast.
0:28.2	My name is James Acaster from the Off Menu podcast.
0:30.3	And we are currently being sponsored by Audible.
0:33.3	There are so many great audio books to listen to on Audible.
0:35.8	The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman is on Audible, and it's read by Fiona Shaw.
0:40.3	I love audiobooks because listening helps you use your imagination.
0:43.8	I know I certainly did when I listened to a hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy read by Stephen Fry.
0:49.9	That guy fires my imagination up like nobody's business.
0:53.3	Listen on Audible now.
0:54.9	Subscription required.
0:56.2	See audible.com.
0:57.3	UK for terms. The woolly mammoth, a great beast that has become synonymous with the Ice Age.
1:22.9	More than 11 feet tall and 6 tonnes in weight when fully grown, covered in thick fur and possessing
1:28.7	two mighty curved tusks, woolly mammoths roamed across great grassy plains for over 100,000
1:34.8	years, before they ultimately went extinct. There have even been attempts to bring mammoths
1:40.6	back through their DNA. They are an incredibly popular extinct animal
1:45.2	that fascinates so many of us. So what do we know about these massive beasts? How often were
1:51.2	they hunted by humans? And why eventually did they go extinct? It's the Ancients on History
	...

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