Mammoth Hair

[FossilsandScience]

Hey everyone!

 

Hope this finds you well and safe! I have had this Woolly Mammoth hair for a while now, but I’m wondering if it’s genuine? It states it was from Taimyr, Siberia. Any response is appreciated! Thanks!

[FossilNerd]

This question comes up from time to time, and this is my understanding of trying to ID mammoth hair. 
 

Short answer...  There is no good way to tell if mammoth hair is real from pictures. 
 

We can look at color and texture, but all of that can be faked. Would someone go through the trouble to fake it, or did they in this instance? 

 

You could get the hair carbon dated, but that is expensive, and it would only tell you if the hair was old. This would support the idea that the hair is mammoth, but there were other “woolly“ animals and animals with hair during the time period, so in my mind it’s not a sure indicator of mammoth.

 

I think that the only conclusive way to tell if it is mammoth would be to know (and have proof of) it being found with the rest of the mammoth.

 

Here are a couple of other threads and posts about the issue that I found informative, and hope will help.
 

 

@doushantuo posted a paper he found on the subject in the second thread. 
 

Link to Paper