The frozen remains of a six-month-old mammoth may show humans why the species became extinct, scientists said on January 4. The calf, dubbed Lyuba, was unearthed last May in northern Siberia, in Russia. It had been frozen for some 37,500 years, and is the best-preserved mammoth ever found.
Last month, the animal underwent a CT scan, which created 3-D images of the inside of its body. The scans will be used to determine why Lyuba died. Scientists have debated whether the disappearance of mammoths was due to climate change or over-hunting by humans. Naoki Suzuki, of Japan's Jikei University, is leading part of the international study. "This is what we've all been waiting for," he says.