Mammoth bones extracted from Wyoming reservoir site

Scientists have recovered the exposed remains of an apparent ancient mammoth at the Buffalo Bill Reservoir in northern Wyoming.

Many questions remain about the vertebrae, molars and rib elements that were found out in the open on the reservoir shores, and lead archaeologist Greg Pierce said teams may be back in 2019 to check out what might still be buried.

The Cody Enterprise reports with melting water feeding the reservoir, crews had little time to waste before the excavation site was covered with water. The task of recovering the exposed bones was completed Monday, about a week after the remains were discovered.

Pierce says samples of the fossil will be shipped off for radio-carbon dating.