When was woody vegetation likely consumed by woolly mammoths according to DNA analysis?
Answer
Likely when preferred forage was scarce, such as during deep winter months.
Although the woolly mammoth was overwhelmingly a specialized grazer, DNA evidence recovered from ancient dung indicated that woody plants—shrubs or trees—were occasionally included in the diet. This consumption was not a primary dietary pattern but rather an opportunistic behavior utilized when the staple forage sources, grasses and sedges, were scarce or covered by deep snow, particularly during the most challenging phases of the frigid winter months. The contribution from this woody matter remained notably smaller compared to the constant, high-volume intake of the primary components.
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