why did mammoths go extinct

Mammoths went extinct mainly due to climate change, which caused the loss of their preferred vegetation and habitat, rather than direct human hunting. Studies using environmental DNA (eDNA) and paleoclimate modeling indicate that warming trends led to the disappearance of the Arctic tundra vegetation essential for mammoth survival. This climate-driven habitat loss appears to be the primary factor driving extinction, although humans likely contributed by hunting and habitat disturbance in some areas. In the case of the last woolly mammoths on isolated Arctic islands, sudden events like disease outbreaks or environmental changes may have also played a role. Overall, a combination of climate change effects, habitat loss, and potentially human impacts led to their eventual extinction around 4,000 years ago.