Did Pollen Allergies Cause Woolly Mammoths’ Extinction? New Study Proposes a Surprising Theory

Science

Woolly mammoths have long been thought to have disappeared due to a combination of factors, such as climate change and human activity. However, a recent study proposes an unexpected hypothesis: pollen allergies may have played a role in their extinction. The study suggests that at the end of the last Ice Age, a surge in vegetation led to excessive pollen production. This may have triggered allergic reactions in mammoths, impacting their sense of smell. Since mammoths relied heavily on smell for various vital functions, such as finding food, evading predators, and locating mates, pollen-related allergies could have severely disrupted these abilities.

Could Allergies Explain Extinction?

Researchers argue that this impairment during mating season may have made it difficult for mammoths to communicate and breed, contributing to a sharp population decline. However, further testing, including examining fossilized mammoth remains for immune proteins associated with allergic responses, is needed to confirm this theory.

Scepticism Around the Hypothesis

While the study presents a compelling narrative, not all experts are convinced. Evolutionary biologist Vincent Lynch, for example, points out that mammoth extinction is more likely to have been caused by a combination of environmental shifts and human hunting. Until more concrete evidence emerges, the pollen allergy theory remains an intriguing but debated topic in mammoth research.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.


Sony MDR-M1 Studio Headphones With 360-Degree Spatial Sound Launched in India: Price, Features



Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale 2024: Top Deals on Smart TVs Across Different Price Ranges

Related Stories

Articles You May Like

Get your EV questions answered at Drive Electric Week, continuing thru Sunday
Crowd shout ‘fight, fight, fight’ as Trump returns to site of failed assassination attempt
Boxing results: Nick Ball and Janibek Alimkhanuly score KOs, retain titles
OpenAI chair Bret Taylor talks AI agents, regulation and the tech’s current boom
Why oil prices haven’t skyrocketed on Middle East supply fears — yet