Page 2 - Michael Cherney News Today

Woolly mammoths had sex on the brain.

A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) have analyzed traces of sex hormones in extinct woolly mammoths’ tusks. The study, published in <i>Nature</i>, is the first to provide molecular evidence that male mammoths experienced musth.

Traces of sex hormones extracted from the animal’s tusk provide the first direct evidence adult males experienced musth, researchers say.

Analysis of ancient tusks has unveiled that woolly mammoths experienced huge surges in testosterone during mating season, according to a University of Michigan-led study.

Hormone measurements from the tusk of a male woolly mammoth show these animals went through musth, a seasonal peak in testosterone seen in elephants

Traces of ancient hormones were detected in the tusks of a woolly mammoth that lived more than 33,000 years ago, revealing that the now-extinct creatures had episodes of raging testosterone.

The technique could allow us to link mammoth health and nutrition to mating.

New research finds that mammoths experienced musth, a phenomenon that sends modern elephants into a frenzy.

The first direct evidence of musth, a testosterone-driven episode of heightened aggression against rival males, in adult male woolly mammoths. 

Traces of ancient hormones were detected in the tusks of a woolly mammoth that lived more than 33,000 years ago, revealing that the now-extinct creatures had episodes of raging testosterone.