“We are formed by our environment, and our environment is formed by us”. Mammals are influenced by climate, changing geography, and plants, and the influence their surroundings. One example of this is the Columbian mammoth, which adapted to its surroundings over time and lived 5 million—4,500 years ago. The primitive species of mammoths had fewer ridges on their teeth while newer species evolved with more ridges as more abrasive foods because available. Woolly mammoths, related to Columbian mammoths, had long fur to insulate it from the cold since it lived in an ice age. Another example of the environment affecting a species and the species affecting the environment are horses in North America. The Spanish re-established horses in North America in the 1500s after they had gone extinct 8,000 years before. The original North American horses underwent evolution over time as their environment changed, and they grew larger as forests turned into grassy plains. Today, there are concerns about mustangs damaging the biotic crusts of the grasslands, causing erosion. Sometimes, this two-way evolution is not a positive development.
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