SR arrived home today sporting new tusks! Actually, they find these tusks at the mine and he brought two into town with him (but won't let me keep one even though I really really want one). Below is the wooly mammoth to which they belong. Apparently there was quite a herd of them around the mine as they keep digging up parts of tusks.
The Wooly Mammoth (mammuthus primigenius) ranged throughout North America, Asia and Europe between 12,000 and 40,000 years ago. It had several cousins, many of whom, including the smaller mastodon and are now extinct. Present day elephants and the aquatic manatee are also relations. No one knows for sure why the mammoth died out, but experts suspect it was a combination of climactic change, which reduced the feeding range, and hunting pressure by our early ancestors. Mammoth tusks were large teeth, made of ivory (dentin), with a protective layer of cementum. They were used for defense, dominance, mating rituals, and may have served as snowplows, clearing the ground for winter-feeding. Mammoth ivory is distinguishable from other ivory by its characteristically unique, oblique crosshatched pattern. It is used in jewelry and for carving. It is uniform and thick, enabling high relief or sculpture in the round. It can hold incredible detail and take a high polish.
2 comments:
Wow - that is amazing - What a pic and story - Ahhhhhh - cant you just keep one - Have been coming online just once in a while - Saw pics of Sue and Iris - They look wonderful - That must have been a real nice day. Loved the Parrot grave thing - We must have been there together when you first came up to the Yukon??? - It is 35 degrees here today so just staying inside but got a 3' high/8' round pool for 5 bucks at garage sale and it is great to just jump in after weeding. MJT
Thanks for your comments MJT. I always wonder if anyone really does read what I write!
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