Unveiling the Past: Discovery of a 50,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth in Siberia
In a groundbreaking revelation, scientists in Russia have announced the discovery of a remarkably preserved 50,000-year-old baby mammoth in thawing permafrost in the Yakutia region of Siberia. Named "Yana" after the river basin where she was found, this mammoth is deemed the best-preserved specimen of its kind ever located.
Weighing over 100 kilograms and measuring 120 centimeters in height and 200 centimeters in length, Yana is estimated to have been only one year old at the time of her death. Prior to this find, only six similar discoveries had been recorded globally, with five located in Russia and one in Canada.
Yana was unearthed in the Batagaika crater, recognized as the largest permafrost crater in the world. Local residents stumbled upon the nearly entirely thawed remains and fashioned a makeshift stretcher to extract the mammoth from its resting place. Experts noted that while the forelimbs had been devoured by predators, the head and other parts of Yana’s body remained astonishingly well preserved.
A researcher suggested that Yana may have become trapped in a swamp, which contributed to her preservation over millennia. Current investigations are being conducted at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, where scientists aim to establish the exact date of her demise.
This mammoth discovery is part of a larger pattern, as numerous prehistoric finds have emerged from Russia’s melting permafrost, a consequence of climate change. Recently, researchers showcased remains of a mummified sabre-tooth cat dating back nearly 32,000 years and the remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf, emphasizing the rich prehistoric life that once thrived in this now-frozen landscape.
