On the unforgiving plains of the Russian tundra, researchers are undertaking an ambitious experiment.
They're trying to restore the entire ecosystem to the way it was when mammoths roamed the Earth 15,000 years ago.
Here's why — and how — they're doing it.
The project is called Pleistocene Park, which researcher Sergey Zimov founded in 1989. It's primarily funded by government grants and the Pleistocene Park Foundation, a non-profit organization.
Sources: Science, Pleistocene Park, NOAA
The Pleistocene epoch began 1.8 million years ago and ended when humans started dominating the Earth 11,500 years ago.
Source: Smithsonian
Across the northern part of the globe during this period, the steppe ecosystem dominated. Its characteristic grasses high in nutrients were great for the planet.
Source: National Geographic
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