Ball-shaped claws, round head and shaggy dark fur: a Russian research team has discovered exceptionally well-preserved, partially mummified remains of a saber-toothed tiger buried in Siberian permafrost. The animal still has whiskers and claws.
However, the prehistoric predator didn't look scary – the kitten was just three weeks old when she died.
The animal was discovered in 2020 near the Baderitsa River in the Yakutia region above the Arctic Circle, where it had been preserved in a patch of ice for thousands of years, the team reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
Through radiocarbon dating, scientists determined that saber-toothed cats lived about 35,500 to 37,000 years ago, during the Late Pleistocene Epoch, an era that began about 2 million years ago and lasted until about 10,000 BC. When the saber-toothed tiger cubs died, much of the world was covered in thick ice. The last ice age continues, a smart man Already lived in Europe as hunters and gatherers.
The kitten belongs to a now-extinct species, according to researchers Same horse hidden. Although these are correct saber-toothed cats, they are also often referred to as saber-toothed tigers.
small ears and thick neck
The kitten's head, even individual whiskers, clawed front legs and the animal's precursors were preserved in detail. Bones from the hip and hind legs were also found.
The team compared the remains with the anatomy of modern lion cubs of the same age and found several differences. In the study, the authors highlighted the saber-toothed cat's thicker, more muscular neck region, smaller ears and longer forelimbs, as well as its greatly shortened and widened snout.
Prehistoric pups also had thicker, deeper fur and wider, rounder paws—possibly to adapt to colder conditions and running in the snow.
Overall, mummy discoveries expand Same horse hidden In Yakutia, the distribution of the genus was understood and its presence confirmed in the late Pleistocene of Asia, the study said.
Further: “In the history of paleontological research, this is the first time that the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no counterpart in the modern fauna has been directly examined.” (Ministry of Human Resources/Strategic Development Bureau/Department of Political Affairs)
Permafrost is suffering from the effects of climate change
Video: srf
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