What specific environmental feature was crucial to sustaining the woolly mammoth's diet?
Answer
The Mammoth Steppe
The existence and survival of the woolly mammoth were intrinsically linked to a specific biome known as the Mammoth Steppe. This environment was characterized by cold, dry, and windy conditions that uniquely favored the growth of low-growing, densely packed grasses and forbs. This dense, productive grassland provided the massive volume of food required daily by the gigantic herbivores. When this ecosystem contracted or was replaced by successor biomes like marshy tundras or sparser boreal forests, the specialized infrastructure needed to support the mammoth's enormous caloric demands disappeared, leading to severe ecological stress.
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