14 woolly mammoth skeletons hMammothsave been uncovered in traps humans about 15,000 years ago

A team of scientists has discovered the largest collection to date of mammoth skeletons in one place, just outside Mexico City.

The researchers have counted more than 200 individual mammoths to date—and believe there are still more to discover.

In 2018, the government announced the development of a new Mexico City airport at the Santa Lucía Air Force Base, north of the city.

People have found mammoth remains in the northern part of the city and the wider region since the 1970s.

So, Pedro Francisco Sánchez Nava, the national coordinator of archaeology of the National Institute of Anthropology and History,

anticipated he and his colleagues would find more of these Pleistocene-era fauna in the area.

"We never assumed that there was going to be the quantity that we are looking at now,” says Sánchez.

Just a few months ago, the team had identified 60 specimens.

In September, the researchers confirmed counting more than 200 individuals.

This find beats previous record-breaking collections of mammoths in California, South Dakota, and Siberia.