Preserved mammoth fragments found

Wooly mammoth hair, soft tissue and bone marrow have been discovered, which may contain living cells.

The frozen fragments were found 100 metres (328 feet) underground during a summer expedition in the province of Yakutia, Siberia, by an international team of researchers.

In the hope of one day forming a clone, Korean scientists set the team a goal to find living cells of a mammoth during their expedition. Following the team's well-preserved discovery, this is now one step closer to becoming a reality.

Some scientists agree it would be possible to create a clone of the mammoth, which is believed to have died out around 10,000 years ago, if living cells are found. Unfortunately however, it cannot be deciphered whether these cells are living or not until further research has been done, which will take a number of months.

Much of the genetic code of the extinct animal has already been deciphered following balls of mammoth hair found frozen in the Siberian permafrost. If living cells are found, a recreation may be possible.

Semyon Grigoryev, expedition chief, said: "Only after thorough laboratory research it will be known whether these are living cells or not."