Researchers Found Something Amazing When They Autopsied A 40,000-Year-Old Woolly Mammoth

4,500 years ago the last Woolly Mammoth roamed the Earth. He and the rest of his brethren died off after the end of the last Ice age.

Researchers have found woolly mammoth remains in dried up rivers and lakes across the globe, but the vast majority are simply bits and pieces of dried out bones or fossils. Only a few remnants have been discovered with soft tissues like skin, flesh, and organs still intact.

Scientists still don't know what ultimately drove the animals extinct.

But the discovery in 2013 of an astonishingly well-preserved carcass of a Mammoth named Buttercup is now leading to new insight into these ancient and amazing creatures.

The fossilized carcass of Buttercup was dissected in a new Smithsonian documentary, called How To Clone A Woolly Mammoth. The film follows the scientists as they find out more about these ancient beasts than ever before. The one-hour special premieres Saturday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the Smithsonian channel.

The team of experts are also talking about resurrecting these incredible creatures - an hugely controversial idea. Read on to learn more about Buttercup, why its body was so well-preserved, and what scientists hope to do with the remains.