Scientists in Russia have put on display the remarkably well-preserved remains of a baby mammoth discovered in the permafrost region of Yakutia in Siberia.
Baby mammoth, discovered in Siberia PHOTO: Getty Images
The 50,000-year-old female mammoth was nicknamed Yana, after the river in whose basin she was discovered this summer. Experts say it is the best-preserved mammoth carcass in the world and is one of only seven intact remains ever found, according to The Guardian.
Studies will be conducted to determine the exact age at death, estimated at “a year or a little more”.
The case was presented at the North-Eastern Federal University in the regional capital of Yakutsk, the institution said in a statement. “We were all surprised by the exceptional preservation of the mammoth”said the rector of the university, Anatoly Nikolayev.
Mammoth baby PHOTO: Getty Images
Maksim Cheprasov, a researcher, stated that it was a “unique and remarkable discovery”.
The remains weigh 180 kg and are 120 cm high and 200 cm long.
According to the cited publication, the carcass was unearthed near the Batagaika research station, where the remains of other prehistoric animals have been found.
Before this discovery, only six mammoth carcasses had been found in the world – five in Russia and one in Canada, the university said.
Yakutia is a remote region bordering the Arctic Ocean. Its permafrost acts as a giant freezer that preserves the remains of prehistoric animals.
