A perfectly preserved woolly mammoth skeleton has been found in Paris, France! This particular discovery is special because almost all the woolly mammoth remains to date have been found in or around Siberia since it is cold enough there to perfectly preserve the remains. Before this, there have been only two other similar discoveries in France in the last 150 years!
The nine-foot tall mammoth has been named Helmut and was discovered totally by accident during the excavation of an ancient Roman site. Archaeologists believe that the creature roamed the grassy plains of France between 20,000 and 50,000 years ago.
The cause of death is still a mystery, though the presence of Neanderthal weapons near the skeleton lead the archeologists to assume that the mammoth was killed by Neanderthals for meat. A closer examination of the weapons will not only help shed light on how Helmut died, but will also tell more about the hunting methods of Neanderthal man.
Woolly mammoths are part of the elephant family and were not much larger than modern elephants. The reason for their extinction is not yet confirmed, but it’s strongly suspected that climate change is to blame.