Mastodons were large, prehistoric mammals that roamed North America during the Ice Age. They resembled modern-day elephants but had long, curved tusks and a stockier build. These creatures were herbivores, primarily feeding on leaves, shrubs, and other vegetation found in their forested habitats. Unlike their close relatives, the woolly mammoths, mastodons had a different type of tooth structure, which helped them grind down tough plant material. They lived in herds and were well-adapted to their environment, but they eventually went extinct around 10,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and hunting by early humans.