If they are such close relatives, why do they look so different? The answer lies in their environments.
Both elephants and mammoths belong to the biological order — a group of mammals defined by their most iconic feature: the trunk. But within that order, the family tree splits into distinct branches. Modern elephants are divided into two species: the African elephant ( Loxodonta africana ) and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). Mammoths, on the other hand, belong to the genus Mammuthus . are elephants related to mammoths
: These were the first to branch off nearly 6 million years ago. If they are such close relatives, why do