Mammoths and Mastodons Made a Great Ice Age Team

By Olivia Barney

The late Pleistocene epoch set the scene for a variety of intimidating animals, and though they lived 50,000 years ago, these larger-than-life creatures continue to capture our imaginations today. A few of the most iconic Ice Age giants are woolly mammoths, Columbian mammoths, and mastodons — three imposing, elephant-like animals that towered high above other animals of the time. But as similar as these three mammals look from the outside, there are a few key differences that made each a unique player on the Ice Age team.

What Are Ice Age Megafauna?

The term “megafauna” refers to extremely large animals like mammoths, bison, and even whales. The word literally means “large animal life.” Around the world, megafauna still exist (like bears, elephants, and rhinos), but they don’t quite measure up to the great heights of their ancient relatives. During the Ice Age, all kinds of animals grew to massive sizes, including giant beavers, ground sloths, and woolly rhinos! You can learn more about these iconic animals and the adaptations that helped them survived the harsh Ice Age temperatures in NHMU’s new Mysteries of the Ice Ages exhibition! 

When it comes to mammoths and mammoth-like mammals of the Pleistocene epoch, however, things can get a little confusing — especially when they all appear so similar upon first glance! To help explain the difference (and to ensure you’re prepared to amaze your friends with your impressive trivia knowledge) we’re breaking down three of the most commonly mixed-up mammoth players.

Meet the Mammoths (Key Stats at a Glance)

Royal Victoria Museum

The Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)

The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is without question the team captain of mammoths — simply because it’s the most iconic mammoth mascot associated with the Ice Ages.  

Known for: long shaggy coat (an adaptation that helped it survive the cold climate) 

Size: 9-11 feet, weighing up to 6 tons (around the size of an African elephant) 

Habitat: Grasslands and tundra — they liked open landscapes with lots of shrubs, sedges, and grasses! 

Range: The Mammoth Steppe (a vast tundra and grassland that stretched across Eurasia and North America, stretching as far south as the Great Lakes region)

Sergiodlarosa

The Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi)

If this were a real team roster, the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) is who we’d select as our goalie (or maybe one of our defensemen). With their truly massive size, nothing would get past them. They’re also the mammoths we had here in Utah (and most of the United States). 

Known for: Being larger than the woolly mammoth and far less hairy, helping them thrive in warmer climates 

Size: 13-15 feet, weighing up to 11 tons 

Habitat: Extremely veritable — they lived at sea level and up on the Colorado Plateau, in dunes, grasslands, and steppe-tundras! 

Range: Most of North America (Mexico, the United States, and parts of Canada); the Columbian mammoth did not migrate to South America.

Sergiodlarosa

The American Mastodon (Mammut americanum)

Okay, The American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) isn’t technically a mammoth, but we’d vote it our MVP anyway. These forest-dwelling browsers were a bit different than their distant mammoth relatives, consuming wood branches, pinecones, and shrubs rather than grazing on grasses. 

Known for: bumpy, Lego-like molars, shaggy fur, and straight tusks 

Size: 8-10 feet, weighing up to 6 tons 

Habitat: colder-temperature woodlands and forested areas 

Range: Most of North America (the United States, Canada, and parts of Mexico)

These Elephant-Like Animals Had Unique Lives

Though these three relatives lived in the same general geographic area during the Pleistocene epoch, they were very different creatures. They thrived in different habitats, ate different food, and even had different social dynamics. While most scientists believe that mammoths lived in matriarchal herds like modern elephants. The American mastodon, on the other hand, lived a comparatively solitary life. 

They also featured a few key distinctions in their skeletal structures — differences you can see for yourself when you visit Mysteries of the Ice Ages. Aside from the obvious differences in stature, mammoths and mastodons also featured a few big differences in their tusks, skull shapes, and teeth. 

The tusks of mammoths are iconic: long, swooping things that are instantly recognizable. Sometimes, they’d curve slightly inward, crossing each other toward the tips. But mastodon tusks aren’t nearly as curved, resembling modern elephants a bit more in that way. 

When it comes to their skulls, mammoths had a distinct knob on the top of their head — a protrusion made of bone that might have served as a place for extra muscle attachments (supporting their heavy tusks), though that’s just one of many theories. Mastodons didn’t feature this bony knob, and as a result, their heads looked relatively flat in comparison. 

1912 illustration of mammoth molars. Louis Laurent Gabriel de Mortillet

The teeth are the real giveaways though. If you aren’t sure whether you’re looking at a mammoth or a mastodon, try looking inside its mouth! Mammoth molars were large and flat, with ridges that helped them grind up grasses and other vegetation. Mastodons, on the other hand, weren’t grazing as much as they were browsing for crunchy woodland treats. Their molars feature cone-like protrusions that helped them break up tough branches and pinecones. 

Illustration of a mastodon molar. British Library HMNTS 7107.g.11.

Despite their differences, they did share a lot of similarities in their habits, physical features, and roles in the ecosystem. Within the last couple of years, researchers have discovered that these ancient animals played an important role in protecting the land from wildfires, a trend that grew when mammoths, mastodons, and the other Ice Age megafauna went extinct. The research is ongoing, but like many other palaeontologic projects, began with curiosity. 

That same curiosity about the past is inspiring DNA and de-extinction efforts across the world and helps deepen our knowledge of Ice Age ecosystems and mass extinction events. To fuel your curiosity about the Pleistocene epoch, visit Mysteries of the Ice Ages — open now until January 4, 2026.