Researchers in Siberia have found the remains of a baby mammoth that researchers believe was caught and eaten by humans about 25,000 years ago, local media reported Thursday.
The remains, discovered on the shores of Siberia's Belaya River, were separated into at least three distinct groups of chopped ribs, a broken skull and other bones, and teeth — all stacked over a 1.5-square-meter area, leading researchers at the Irkutsk State University to hypothesize that the animal fell prey to hunters, the Babr news agency reported.
Researchers estimate that the bones, discovered earlier this month, are about 25,000 years old. Since the remains belonged to a young animal, researchers also believe that the mammoth was probably captured by hunters when it fell behind its herd, the report said.
Archeologists digging up ancient human campsites in the village of Malta in the Irkutsk region also found the bones of a woolly rhinoceros this summer and a range of artifacts made from bone and stone, the report said.