Hair structure of the Woolly mammoth, <i>Mammuthus primigenius</i> and the modern elephants, <i>Elephas maximus</i> and <i>Loxodonta africana</i>

Abstract

The structure of overhairs from a Wooly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius , 10–13 thousand years old, is compared with that of its living relatives, Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africana . The hair profile, cross‐sectional appearance, wholeamount and cuticular scale cast of the haris of the three species were examined and a selected array of photographs representing the hair structure of each species are presented. In general there is little variation between the three in the gross structure of the overhairs.