The Mammoth is a very recognizable and popular prehistoric creature it has been made even more so of late with movies such as the Ice Age series. Mammoths existed from about five million years ago up to about 4500 years ago in Europe, Africa, Asia and in North America. And just like in the movies, humans did co-exist with mammoths during the Upper Paleolithic and prior to this, Neanderthals co-existed with mammoths during the Middle Paleolithic. Mammoths were very important to Ice Age humans, in fact, human survival may have depended on the mammoth as they utilized mammoth bones for tools and building materials. In addition to the obvious food value, mammoth bones were used in the construction of shelters, for tools, furniture, musical instruments and to cover and protect human bodies during burial. The mammoth is the third most depicted animal in Ice Age art, after horses and bison. More than five hundred depictions of mammoth exist, ranging from cave paintings and engravings to sculptures in ivory, antler, stone and bone. Mammoths are characterized by their distinctively long curved tusks. In the northern regions mammoths were covered with long hair. Mammoths were quite large, the largest reaching heights of thirteen feet at the shoulder, and were the ancestors of our modern day elephant. Mammoths died out during the end of the last Ice Age. Scientists are still debating as to why this extinction took place. In general, one group supports the idea that changing climate destroyed the mammoth's food supply, while the other group believes that their extinction was brought about through hunting pressure as the human population increased. It seems reasonable, at least to me, that a combination of the two working together brought about the demise of the mammoth world-wide.