The site at the new Fossil Creek Park also had bones from birds, rodents and other animals that are at least 30,000-years-old.

After the discovery, the city contacted Colorado State University anthropology professor Larry Todd, who brought in students to excavate the bones. The class worked through September and into mid-October.

The Fossil Creek site was a floodplain, with buried deposits from the Rocky Mountains' glacial outwash during the Ice Ages.

Sediment accumulated rapidly, eventually burying the bones under 15 feet of soil.

kktv.com Extended Web Coverage

Wooly Mammoths

• The mammoth is a common name for several extinct species of the elephant family.

• The mammoth was the largest living land mammal during the late Pleisocene (2 million – 10,000 years ago.

• Found in Europe, Asia and North America.

• Average size: 9-12 feet tall and weight of 7-9 tons.

• The mammoths thick haired coat was actually long black hair and not red hair. The red coloration was due to a chemical reaction in the hair after a mammoth died.

• It is believed that the large tusks were used to scrape away land, snow, or ice to get to fresh vegetation.

• Scientist have two theories on the extinction of the wooly mammoth:
  
  • Humans hunted the animal for food.
    
    • A sudden change in the Earth’s climate.

  Source: A compilation of Web reports contributed to this report.