Reindeer herders last week discovered the remains of a woolly mammoth in a shallow part of Pechevalavato Lake in Siberia (Russia). The incomplete skeleton is in a state of conservation considered excellent by local scientists. The latter are currently working on the meticulous recovery of the elements unearthed by the reindeer herders.
Woolly mammoth skeleton found in lake in Russia's Arctic https://t.co/XMbJlczaJw pic.twitter.com/vaCBZcf6Tw
- Reuters (@Reuters) July 28, 2020Among the bones found are part of the animal's skull, lower jaw, several of its ribs as well as a piece of foot with tendons still intact, reports The Associated Press . In addition to the guardians' initial findings, paleontologists have unearthed other bones deep in a crack in the ground near the lake. The heat wave currently hitting the region could be the cause of the appearance of these remains.
Other parts should be dug up
Specialists claim to have spotted other fragments of the mammoth's skeleton. They hope they will eventually be able to dig up larger parts of the mammal's body if its remains are sufficiently well preserved. For this, they rely on the use of specific tools and equipment to carry out an operation that they claim to be very long.
If successful, the latter could help scientists develop a better understanding of mammoths. The discovery of the entire skeleton of the species that disappeared around 10,000 years ago is indeed relatively rare, explained a scientist from the Shemanovsky Institute in Salekhard (Russia).
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