New tusk-analysis techniques reveal surging testosterone in male woolly mammoths

New tusk-analysis techniques reveal surging testosterone in male woolly mammoths

Traces of sex hormones extracted from a woolly mammoth's tusk provide the first direct evidence that adult males experienced musth, a testosterone-driven episode of heightened aggression against rival males, according to a new study.

Tusk analysis reveals surging testosterone in male woolly mammoths – study

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

Male Woolly Mammoths' Testosterone Surged When It Was Time To Find A Mate

For the first time scientists have detected evidence that woolly mammoths experienced musth during the mating season, a hormone-driven surge in aggression that would’ve spurred on rival males at they competed for a mate. The discovery has also revealed that such hormone changes can be detected in the growth rings of tusks, something that can be applied to modern day elephants as well as their ancient ancestors.Two woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primi…

Woolly mammoths had testosterone surges like those of male elephants

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

New tusk-analysis techniques reveal surging testosterone in male woolly mammoths

Traces of sex hormones extracted from a woolly mammoth's tusk provide the first direct evidence that adult males experienced musth, a testosterone-driven episode of heightened aggression against rival males, according to a new University of Michigan-led study.

Testosterone histories from tusks reveal woolly mammoth musth episodes

Hormones in biological media reveal endocrine activity related to development, reproduction, disease and stress on different timescales1. Serum provides immediate circulating concentrations2, whereas various tissues record steroid hormones accumulated over time3,4. Hormones have been studied in keratin, bones and teeth in modern5–8 and ancient contexts9–12; however, the biological significance of such records is subject to ongoing debate10,13–16…