On the 23rd (local time), Russian researchers unveiled the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth discovered in the Yakutia region of Siberia. The preservation state of the remains is among the best in the world, marking the seventh instance of a mammoth being excavated in complete condition.
This discovery was made in the Batagayka depression, a melting permafrost area in the Yakutia region during the summer. The melting permafrost has resulted in a sunken ground. This area is known as the largest permafrost depression in the world.
The research team named the baby mammoth 'Yana' after the name of the Yana River basin where the remains were found. Yana is estimated to have weighed 180 kg, stood 120 cm tall, and measured 200 cm in body length, and was approximately one year old at the time of death.
The Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory in Yakutsk noted, 'We obtained valuable clues to a deeper understanding of ancient ecosystems,' adding that 'the preservation state of Yana is beyond what we imagined.' The mammoth appears to have been preserved for a long time as the permafrost acted as a natural freezer. Although the front legs are missing, the head and torso remain in almost perfect condition.
Yana is the seventh complete mammoth remains discovered in the world, with five found in Russia and one in Canada previously. Interestingly, this specimen was discovered by local residents. At that time, the residents found the mammoth emerging from the ice and temporarily used a makeshift stretcher to lift the remains onto the ground. Maxim Cherpasov, director of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory, stated, 'It is very fortunate that the remains were found before animals could consume the mammoth.'
The research team estimates that Yana has been preserved for about 50,000 years after dying in a swamp. Additional analysis is currently underway to determine more accurately when Yana died.
Recently, due to global warming, more and more remains of ancient life forms are being revealed as the permafrost melts. Earlier this year, a wolf's head estimated to be about 44,000 years old and saber-toothed tiger remains from around 32,000 years ago were discovered in mummified condition.