The
woolly mammoth (
Mammuthus primigenius) is a species of
mammoth that lived during the
Pleistocene epoch, and was one of the last in a line of mammoth species, beginning with
Mammuthus subplanifrons in the early
Pliocene. The woolly mammoth diverged from the
steppe mammoth about 400,000 years ago in eastern Asia. Its closest extant relative is the
Asian elephant. The appearance and behaviour of this species are among the best studied of any
prehistoric animal because of the discovery of frozen carcasses in
Siberia and
Alaska, as well as skeletons, teeth, stomach contents, dung, and depiction from life in prehistoric
cave paintings. Mammoth remains had long been known in Asia before they became known to Europeans in the 17th century. The origin of these remains was long a matter of debate, and often explained as being remains of
legendary creatures. The mammoth was identified as an extinct species of elephant by
Georges Cuvier in 1796.