Discovering mammoth bones that remain in ligaments after more than 10,000 years of extinction

Fragments of the skeleton were discovered by reindeer shepherds in the Yamalo-Nenets region a few days ago. They found a part of the skull, lower jaw, some ribs and a piece of leg bone with intact strands.

Curly-haired mammoths are thought to have been extinct around 10,000 years ago, due to changes in weather and human hunting.

Russian television on Friday reported that scientists were in the process of searching for fragments of skeletons in the alluvial layer of lakeside. Scientists have found larger pieces of bone protruding from the alluvial layer. They said it would take extra time and help from special equipment to get the rest of the skeleton - in case they were all in the same place.

Yevgeniya Khozyainova of the Shemanovsky Institute at Salekhard said finding and assembling the skeleton of a mammoth elephant is relatively rare. This discovery allowed scientists more conditions to further investigate mammoths.

In the past, carcasses of some animals have also been found in the permafrost region of northern Siberia. All are in frozen state and are well preserved.

Some pictures of curly wool mammoth bones (Source: Artem Cheremisov / AP)