Mammoth Bones Unearthed In OSU Football Stadium

Construction crews have unearthed mammoth bones in Oregon State University's Reser Stadium. The discovery was made in the stadium's north end zone earlier this week, and it wasn't a lone find — researchers have since unearthed remains from several other extinct mammals in the area, making it a very fruitful find. Finer details about the bones will be available after researchers conduct their study.

The initial find was of a large femur bone researchers believe belonged to a mammoth, though that assumption hasn't yet been confirmed. No human artifacts or remains have been found in the spot, but other creatures' bones were discovered, including those belonging to bison and either horse or camel.

According to researchers, the area in which the stadium resides may have once been home to a marsh or bog of some sort where animals would go to drink. When an animal was sick, it would go toward the water but usually die in the spot — something that could explain the large number and variety of remains.

Construction was underway to expand the Valley Football Center; it was halted when the bones were discovered. Work is continuing in a different area while researchers remove the remains, but the delay has been described as "minimal" at this point. The discovery could shed more light on the history of the region.

SOURCE: OSU