A Woolly Mammoth’s Tusks Reveal a Map of Where It Roamed in Life

The technique used to reconstruct the animal’s 28-year journey across prehistoric Alaska could solve mysteries about the demise of the elephant-like mammals.

More than 17,000 years ago, a woolly mammoth known today as Kik wandered far and wide across Alaska during his 28 years of life. When Kik was young, he spent most of his time in the Alaskan interior, a less mountainous area. Then, when he turned 15, his patterns of movement shifted, spending much more time to the north, where the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and National Petroleum Reserve are found today. During some years, Kik migrated with the seasons. Other years, he largely stayed put in the same area all year around.