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The largest mammoth fossil has been discovered in Mexico

The largest mammoth fossil has been discovered in Mexico

BY Sandra 27 Nov,2020 Mammoth Fossil

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At an airport construction site in the northern Mexico City, people found two hundred ancient mammoth bones. It is the largest fossil remains of mammoth bones ever found.

Last November, when the construction site was on a routine excavation, archaeologists from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History were the first to realize that two sinkholes might contain a great number of mammoth fossilized bones.

19.jpegThe sinkhole is in the town of Turtepec, which people originally intended to use as a dumping ground. Finally, people discovered at least 14 Columbian mammoths’ bones.

The construction site of Felipe Englers international airport is only 19.3 kilometres away from the ruins. Excavation team in found at least 60 mammoth bones in the dry bed of Lake Xaltocan in May. Since then, the total quantity has risen to more than 200, and more bones remain hidden underground.

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Institute archaeologist Pedro Sanchez Nava told the ‘Associated Press’, “There’s more, at least hundreds of bones.”

Now there is one archaeological observer on each bulldozer to prevent anyone from excavating new fossils.

The previous largest mammoth remains were in Hot Springs, South Dakota, with the remains of about 60 fossils.

New discoveries may explain why mammoths became extinct.

Columbian mammoths came to North America about a million years ago. They were 4.3 meters high, and their lifespan is similar to that of humans: 70 to 80 years.


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