Mammuthus Jeffersonii

A tale from ancient Iowa

A mammoth specimen identified as a Jefferson mammoth on display at Morrill Hall in the University of Nebraska State Museum.

Mammuthus Jeffersonii

K.L. Orion

Modern Day Iowa. 

Approximately twelve thousand years ago.

Here roam the mighty mammoth herds.

During this time both North and South America has elephants. In fact, the two have more elephant diversity during this time period than Africa does in the modern day. Mastodons, gomphotheres, and mammoths. Each group is highly unique and fascinating, dwarfing the modern fauna of the continents in both physical size and curiosity. It is an early Autumn day on the Iowan prairies, and the herds are on the move. A herd of a distinctly American species of mammoth has gathered at a creek tucked between the rolling hills: the Columbian mammoth. These behemoths are among the largest land animals of their time, reaching similar sizes to the modern African elephant. However, other than their size, the Columbian mammoth has more in common both in looks and genetics with the Asian elephant. With taller faces and extremely long, curved tusks, mammoths are fairly easy to tell apart from their other elephant relatives. During the Ice Age, mammoths of all sorts dominated the northern world. This variant, suggested by their name, is unique to the vast prairies of the Americas. 

Meredith, an important member of this particular herd, is the daughter of the matriarch and the mother of a young bull. Though not very old, she is among the largest and strongest members of her group, giving her status within it. She helps lead the herd with her mother and the other higher profile females, though her responsibilities are often eaten up by her little son. Only about three years old, Halian keeps his mother occupied. The little elephant is full of youthful energy and curiosity, leading him into some less than ideal situations. Poor Meredith has to constantly keep an eye on this little troublemaker. Even now at the creekside, Halian cannot seem to stay in line. 

The adult behemoths have all gathered by the water, using their long trunks to scoop up and drink water. Little Halian’s world is constantly occupied by these towering giants. Even knowing one day he’ll grow up to be like these titans, their titanic size bewilders the young pachyderm. But even though he’s filled with wonder when at the center of his herd, it doesn’t make up for the claustrophobia. The tightness of their group can make it hard for the little mammoth to breathe. This causes Halian to often try to sneak off to get some fresh air. Not to mention that there is only one thing that sparks more wonder in Halian’s mind than the giant mammoth, and that is the only thing bigger than a mammoth; the outside world. 

While Meredith’s back is turned to drink, Halian flees as fast as he can. He weaves his way through the adults’ pillar-like legs to find a way out of the herd. Soon, he’s on the outskirts of the gathered group, an unspoiled landscape stretched out in front of him. Freedom at last. The little mammoth toots happily as he takes off downstream. The Ice Age climate is drier than that of the modern day, meaning there are far less trees. For most of Halian’s life, he’s only seen trees sprinkled through open prairies. It is not often he gets to explore more wooded areas, and the creek provides those wooded areas for him. He gleefully charges headfirst into the prickly brush, autumn leaves falling around him. He looks up into the canopy and begins to appreciate the wonderful fall colors. He doesn’t get this point of view much. The sunlight shimmering down through the red and orange leaves is spectacular. The gentle breeze shaking the trees makes a calming rustling sound. It’s so peaceful that Halian could just shut his eyes and fall asleep right here… 

Footsteps from behind him break his trance. Halian whirls around, frightened. Once he’s turned himself around, he is greeted by the most bizarre creature he’s ever seen. A seven foot tall giant ground sloth. The strange animal walks on its knuckles, for its fingers are tipped with long claws. It drags a hairy tail behind it, with an equally odd head on its other end. The sloth moans then stands on its hind legs, its clawed hands reaching up into the trees. It pulls down branches, munching on the warmly colored leaves. Halian would watch this odd animal all day if he could, but he hears a familiar trumpet echo in the distance. It’s his mother; she calls out like this every time he sneaks away. He’s been caught, so there’s no point in trying to run now. Disappointed, he turns away from the sloth and stumbles his way out of the brush and back towards his mother. 

“Archie” the Columbian mammoth on display also at Morrill Hall. He is the biggest Columbian mammoth specimen unearthed so far, at least to my knowledge. In the left-hand corner of the image is the skeleton of an adult Asian elephant for scale. Between the Asian elephant and Archie is the skeleton of a dwarf mammoth of some kind to show you the diversity in size of elephant species.

The moment Meredith realized her son was missing again, she panicked. Though Halian does this all the time, it is still a reason to be concerned. Young mammoths need the safety of the herd to keep predators away. When they’re alone, there isn’t a carnivore in the world who wouldn’t try to obtain such an easy and nutritious meal. So Meredith goes mom mode, making loud trumpeting calls to beckon her child back to her. She herself leaves the safety of the herd, following her son’s scent downstream. At last, after calling out multiple times, she sees Halian a few hundred feet in front of her forcing his way out of the woods around the creek. She sighs with relief. Mother and son look at each other, one far more relieved than the other. Reluctantly, Halian begins walking towards his mother. But before he can get far, Meredith’s greatest fear comes true as something huge bolts out of the shelter of the woods and at her son. 

A giant, predatory bear ambushes Halian, taking the baby by surprise. The young elephant hastily leaps forward, narrowly missing the attack. He begins running towards his mother, but the bear is soon in hot pursuit. Meredith herself begins charging towards her son and the bear, but she’s still far away from Halian. Realistically, there is no way she could make it there before the bear has already- 

Something else bolts from the bushes. Something far larger. With a loud battlecry, a lone woolly mammoth slams his tusks into the giant bear, allowing the baby Columbian mammoth to escape. Meredith stops dead in her tracks, shocked by the sudden appearance of this savior. She watches in awe as the woolly mammoth squares up the bear, growling before he charges yet again. The bear tries to scratch its enemy’s trunk, but not before it gets plowed over by the hairy elephant’s tusks. Before the bear can get back up, the mammoth tries to stomp on it. Luckily for the bear, it rolls out of the way before the pachyderm’s massive feet slam down into the ground. The bear quickly gets to its feet before the woolly mammoth charges it again. This time, the bear turns and flees, the mammoth on its tail. Once the bear has darted into the woods, the woolly mammoth stops and turns to look at Meredith and her son upstream. 

Halian and Meredith embrace each other, both terrified. But as they do, they look back at the mysterious woolly mammoth who now stands there, staring back at them. A close relative of the Columbian mammoth, the woolly mammoth is a far hairier and far more famous species. Unlike the Columbian mammoth, whose skin is similar to modern elephants’, the woolly mammoth is covered in a thick layer of shaggy hair. This adaptation is one of their many unique traits that makes them fit for colder northern environments. This species also tends to be smaller than the Columbian mammoth. 

Woolly mammoths aren’t very common this south, especially in the fall. Their adaptations for the north usually keep them at a higher latitude. However, that isn’t to say they are entirely alien to this land, for Meredith has seen multiple herds of them in her lifetime. This particular woolly mammoth is about Meredith’s size, putting it on the larger end for woolly mammoths. It must be a bull. After staring at each other for a while, the bull starts to walk towards them. At first, Meredith considers running, but she figures that is unnecessary. Besides, this male saved her child. If anything, she feels somewhat indebted to him. 

As he makes his advances, Meredith starts thinking about how courageous he was against that bear, and also how strong. On woolly mammoth standards, he is an ideal male. He’s even impressive on Columbian mammoth standards. The only way Columbian mammoth males have proven that they are better than this one so far is by size. Finally, the bull stops right in front of mother and son. He carefully examines both of them. There’s a hint of curiosity in his eyes. He slowly raises his trunk and sniffs the both of them. Soon, Meredith is doing the same to him. Both adults check each other out, learning more about the other through their senses. Meredith sees scars and scratches all over this male’s body. If one thing is clear, it’s that he is a warrior. The longer she’s around this bull, the higher she thinks of him. The bull seems to reciprocate the feelings. Soon, they get even friendlier, gently nuzzling each other. As time wears on, the two grow fonder and fonder of one another until finally… 

A woolly mammoth model on display at the Bell Museum in St. Paul.

Nearly two years have passed since that fateful day. Both Meredith and Halian have changed considerably. Halian has grown up quite a bit, losing some of his youthful irresponsibility. He’s grown larger, stronger, and smarter in the past few years. All of these traits greatly benefit his mother who herself is reaching the end to the pregnancy of the woolly mammoth’s child. The herd is yet again on the move, like always, trekking across the prairies. Today, Meredith is feeling particularly weighed down and tired. Halian has been helping out his mother where he can, though she has to sit frequently. The group stops with her, surrounding her with care and support. Intense pains have been plaguing Meredith for the last few weeks, but they’ve gotten worse today. There’s a solid possibility that she might give birth in the next few hours. 

Halian can sense the change in his mother. He hovers around her, trying to provide her with a feeling of safety. She has been holding up the herd all day. They’ve been making frustratingly slow progress. Eventually, the herd decides to stop near a pond to rest up, allowing Meredith to finally sit. While the other mammoths gather around the pond, Halian and Meredith have parked themselves on the opposite side of a hill. The mother mammoth winces with pain as her son laps around her. He’s providing protection, or at least trying to. She’s vulnerable in this position, so she needs every ounce of protection she can get. 

The pain gets worse, causing Meredith to howl. Halian rushes to his mother’s side. He strokes her huge body with his trunk, showing concern. She tries to put on a strong face for her son, but the pain becomes too great yet again. She begins howling again. The herd should hear this, hopefully rushing to their aid. But something else hears the painful cries of the mammoth first. A chill runs down Halian’s spine. Something isn’t right. But before he can determine what’s up, Meredith’s screams become louder. 

She’s entered labor. 

Meredith stands up in an awkward position. She holds her back legs out, her head pointed to the sky. It looks to Halian like she’s trying to take the most painful bathroom break of her life. Her loud trumpeting calls fill the air, attracting attention from all around. Halian runs circles around his mother, beginning to panic. He doesn’t know what to do. He starts scanning the horizon for any evidence that the herd is coming to their aid. But before he can detect any sign of a mammoth, something else grabs his attention. Two yellow eyes peek from behind some tall grass. Those sinister eyes look straight through Halian’s soul. 

A female in labor and a juvenile. They will be eating good tonight. 

A saber-toothed cat pounces from out of the grass, its clawed paws stretched out into the air. Another one leaps from behind the first. The first one tries to land on Halian, but he darts away just in time. The second is far luckier, landing on the back of Meredith. Its claws sink deep into the mother elephant. She screams and begins to shake violently. The shaking prevents the cat from biting down with its blade-like teeth, forcing it to focus on not getting bucked off. The one that tried to get Halian is now growling at him in a standoff. The young mammoth is petrified. His tusks have started to grow, but they are not very long yet. He is essentially defenseless. 

The predatory prehistoric beast lashes its claws at Halian. He backs away, avoiding the scratches. He sees his mom battling the other saber-tooth. She’s in big trouble. Being in the middle of labor, she can’t properly defend herself. But Halian’s saber-tooth attacker stands between him and his mother. Elephants are smart animals. However, they would never survive if worry drove them away in times of hardship. So it is time for this little pachyderm to stop worrying. 

He closes his eyes and blindly charges into his opponent. The cat is taken by surprise and gets run over by an animal the size of a small car. Once he has tackled his enemy, he runs straight for the saber-tooth currently latched onto his mother. He smacks at its rear end with his head, dislodging its hind legs from Meredith’s body. He then uses his trunk to grab onto those legs and, with all the strength he can muster, yanks the giant feline off of his mother. But the predator is resilient. Even after hitting the ground, the saber-tooth jerks up and pounces with intentions to attack Halian, but Meredith is ready this time. She roars and throws her enormous head over her child, batting away the cat midair with her tusks. The unfortunate beast slams into the ground, but it isn’t out for the count. 

Both saber-tooths get up and begin to close in on the mammoths. The mother and son duo get into a defensive position. Meredith holds Halian back with her trunk, but Halian seems just as ready to charge as his mother. Both elephant and feline growl at each other, each one preparing to strike at the other. But then something triumphant is heard from atop of a neighboring hill. A mammoth trumpets. Then another. Then another. The herd has come to the rescue. They sprint down the hillside towards the battle scene, a moving fortress. They plow over the shocked and frightened saber-tooths, knocking them down. After the initial blow, the cats get back up, but the herd surrounds them and begins taking whacks at them with their tusks and trunks. The cats have had enough, and once the first opening appears they rush through it and run out of sight as fast as they possibly can. A few of the mammoths charge after them, throwing around their tusks and trunks, roaring like monsters, until they are sure that the predators are gone. 

The cast of a woolly mammoth skeleton at the Mahaska County Environmental Learning Center. This is part of an exhibit detailing the excavation of three woolly mammoth skeletons outside of Oskaloosa, Iowa. The discovery was groundbreaking because it was previously thought that woolly mammoths didn’t have much of a presence in Iowa. Rather, Columbian mammoths likely outnumbered woolly mammoths greatly. However, this discovery changed that idea and made scientists realize that woolly mammoths were much more prevalent in Iowa than previously thought. This discovery gave us a better understanding of this iconic animal and its range on North America, furthering said range southward.

Once the coast is clear, the entire herd’s focus shifts to Meredith, who is still in labor. Every adult in the herd is female, and almost all of them are mothers. This makes them extremely caring for the pregnant pachyderm. Some of the younger adults create a defensive circle around Meredith in case any other dangers appear. Meanwhile, the older females shower Meredith with care. They stroke her with their trunks as she pushes. They encapsulate her with love. They get so tight-knit around her that Halian is pushed away. He eventually forces his way back through, but as he does, he hears his mother scream, some splashing water, and what sounds like the thud of a little bag of skin and bones. Once he can see his mother, he hears weak, little trumpeting sounds from beneath her. 

A tiny mammoth calf wiggles around on the ground. It’s a male, and a strange one at that. He’s already covered with more hair than Halian has ever had. This is little Fone, and he is a hybrid between a woolly and Columbian mammoth. The small calf reaches up towards his brother’s face with his shaky trunk, not entirely sure how to use it yet. Halian gets closer and allows the little one to touch him. His mother turns around and gently pets her baby with her colossal nose. The rest of the herd all takes looks at the little newborn and then trumpets in triumph. A chorus of elephant cries shake the heavens, singing and celebrating the birth of another one of their own. The entire herd contributes to raising a calf. Each adult here will have some influence on how a calf will grow. The entire herd is a family after all. This tiny one is already surrounded by his aunts, cousins, and grandmothers. Perhaps they’ll all have a hand (or a trunk) in making him a powerful bull mammoth one day, combining the traits of a woolly and Columbian mammoth to become the king of prehistoric Iowa. 

But for now, little Fone is embraced by his loving mother and his curious brother. He couldn’t have a better family. 

The End 

Thank you for reading my narrative. Now, I’d like to clear up some things. My story is completely fictional and not entirely scientifically accurate. First of all, while I never mention it directly, Fone is supposed to be a Jefferson mammoth, named after Thomas Jefferson himself. It is unclear whether or not Jefferson mammoths were a distinct species or just a variant of Columbian mammoths, but I have heard theories that they might be a hybrid between woolly and Columbian mammoths. This narrative runs with that idea. That isn’t to say I believe in that theory necessarily, but I just used the idea to create a story. Though we do know Columbian mammoth and woolly mammoth territory overlapped, meaning it is entirely possible that hybrids (whether they were Jefferson mammoths or not) existed. 

Secondly, I wanted to talk about the description of the Columbian mammoths. I said they had elephant-like skin and were not hairy. This, as far as I am aware, isn’t a confirmed description. It is unknown whether or not Columbian mammoths were hairy, and if so, to what extent. Most art depictions I have seen depict them as having traditional elephant skin, so I went with that for the sake of this narrative. In conclusion, I am glad you read this story and hope you enjoyed it.