Oldest-known North American woolly mammoth revealed in 'long-lost' ancient DNA

An illustration of a woolly mammoth standing in front of a white background. .

Researchers have discovered the oldest-known wooly mammoth fossil in North America and uncovered its genetic secrets, according to a new study.

The 216,000-year-old tooth, found along the Old Crow River in the Yukon territory in Canada, confirms that wooly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) arrived in North America at least 100,000 years earlier than scientists initially thought.