Final answer:
The extinction of the woolly mammoth was due to a combination of factors including climate change, human hunting, habitat reduction, and human migration, rather than a singular natural disaster. Research shows a gradual decline over thousands of years, with no single factor being solely responsible for their extinction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Factors Contributing to the Extinction of the Woolly Mammoth
The extinction of the woolly mammoth is a topic that has fascinated scientists for years. While it was once believed that a natural disaster may have caused the sudden demise of these ancient creatures, research has demonstrated that their extinction was due to a combination of factors over an extended period. Most populations of woolly mammoths went extinct approximately 10,000 years ago. A 2008 study highlighted the significant impact of climate change, which reduced the mammoth's range from 3,000,000 square miles 42,000 years ago to just 310,000 square miles 6,000 years ago.
Moreover, human hunting also contributed to the decline in their populations. These pressures, combined with the reduction of habitat and the migration of human hunters across the Bering Strait to North America during the last ice age around 20,000 years ago, created a situation from which the mammoths could not recover. A 2012 study supported the understanding that no single factor was exclusively responsible for their extinction. Instead, it was a complex interplay between these elements over thousands of years that led to the eventual disappearance of the woolly mammoth.