The first accounts of mammoths were documented as far back as the late 17th century. Initially, fossils were discovered mostly near the North Sea. However at present not only has there been recent strides to recreate the animal using found DNA, but a few more complete specimens have been found. In fact just this week, bones from the ancient animal have been found in a rather peculiar setting.
A few days ago in January 27, 2016, several news outlets reported about a group of construction workers unearthing what is now believed to be the femur from a woolly mammoth. The crew is working on an expansion project for Oregon State's Resar Stadium when they stumbled upon the remains which dates back to the ice age. Additionally, several other remnants of extinct animals were found alongside the mammoth.
"We believe we have an intact femur from a mammoth. There also appear to be bones from other species, including possibly a bison and a camel" announced Oregon State University spokesman Steve Clark.
Loren Davis, an associate professor of anthropology at OSU, has since been summoned to examine the fossils.
There are quite a few bones, and dozens of pieces. Some of the bones are not in very good shape, but some are actually quite well preserved" quipped Davis.
Davis claimed that the area where the arena is located used to be a bog or marsh so according to him the discovery is not all that rare.
"Animals who were sick would often go to a body of water and die there, so it's not unusual to find a group of bones like this" explained Davis.
The professor has further explained that no evidence of human bones were found in the area. Because of this, the bones are not considered an archeological site and is not protected by any statutes under Oregon Law.