In May 2013, a team of international scientists unearthed the remains of a mammoth in the furthest reaches of northern Siberia. Three legs, most of the body, some of the head and even the trunk survived in extraordinary condition, which has quickened the pace of one of the most ambitious and controversial projects in science—the cloning of the woolly mammoth.

A new Smithsonian Channel special, HOW TO CLONE A WOOLLY MAMMOTH, will detail the autopsy results of the animal, nicknamed “Buttercup” by the team of scientists. The one-hour special premieres Saturday, November 29^th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.