Channel Island Mammoth Puzzles Paleontologists

An article in The Washington Post discussed an excellent mammoth skull has been discovered on Santa Rosa of the Channel Islands, which doesn't fit. It's not a pygmy mammoth, which were native to the area, and it's not a Columbian. Is it a variation of the dozen or so currently known mammoth species, or something entirely new? And — how did it get there, anyway?

Mammoth sculpture image cropped from Pixabay / hansbenn

The Post had some misstatements of facts, and included some obfuscation on the word evolution, using evidence and conclusions that biblical creationists agree with Darwinists about, but imply that molecules-to-mammoth is responsible. They also had some problems with the dating claims, and a few other alternative "facts". The time frame and the location of the beastie can be explained with the creation science model of the Genesis Flood and subsequent Ice Age.

According to a report recently published in The Washington Post, researchers have uncovered the cranial remains of an enigmatic mammoth. “I have seen a lot of mammoth skulls and this is one of the best preserved I have ever seen,” declared Don Morris, a retired archaeologist associated with the find. Discovered on Santa Rosa Island (one of the Channel Islands, approximately 106 miles from Los Angeles, California), it seems that this exceptional specimen has led to more questions than answers.

Something New?
The article states that the animal’s age at death, species, and relatedness to other varieties of mammoth are presently undetermined. The tusks of juvenile mammoths are short and mildly curved, while those of adults are typically long and coiled. This specimen features one of each tusk style—an unprecedented condition—the significance of which is still unknown. As the article points out, future dental studies may help us better pinpoint how old the animal was when it died.

To read the rest, click on "Mystery Mammoth Points to a Global Flood and Ice Age".