Researchers have discovered a mummified baby saber-toothed tiger in the permafrost of Yakutia, Russia.Homotherium latidens). The well-preserved mummy, still covered in fur, is the first of its kind and could reveal much more about the ancient species.
According to recent research results, scientific report, Researchers discovered the baby on the banks of the Bajariha River. Carbon dating determined that the specimen was more than 30,000 years old, proving that the baby lived during either the Ice Age or the Pleistocene.
This region of Siberia is also home to other prehistoric finds, including woolly mammoths and rhinos. However, research shows that finding mummified big cats is rare. Other big cats found in the area include a cat that dates back 28,000 years. cave lion With the beard still intact. Paleontologists hope this discovery will provide a wealth of information about saber-toothed cats.
Cat mummy comparison
Appearance of the head of a 3-week old big cat pup, right side view: (A) Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, Russia, Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Indigirka River Basin, Bajarikha River. Late Pleistocene. (B) Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-210286; recent. (Credit: AV Lopatin)
The remains of the Bajarrica mummy consisted of the head, thorax, and front legs. Fragments of the severed pelvis and front legs were also recovered. The mummy still had fur, muscles, soles of its feet, fingernails and other tissues.
This bear cub had longer fur on the back of its neck than on its legs, and the fur under its chin and around its mouth was also longer. After analyzing the teeth, researchers believe the baby was about three weeks old when it died.
Experts from the Bolsiak Institute of Paleontology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (PIN) compared the Bajalikha mummy with the remains of a modern lion cub (pantera leo) Collection of the Zoological Museum of Moscow Lomonosov State University (ZMMU). The lion cub was about the same age when it died. Researchers also used several other P.Leo A skull to compare with the mummy of Bajarrica.
Comparative data suggests that the Bajariha mummy likely had 12 pairs of ribs, compared to 13 in modern lions. Bajariha mummies also had larger clefts and longer necks with thicker muscles than lion cubs.
The Bajarica mummy’s front paws were so well preserved that the researchers were able to determine that the mummy had claws similar to mummy claws. P.Leo.
read more: Sabertooth is both visually symbolic and evolutionarily mysterious
The future of the Bajarica mummy
With this rare find and well-preserved condition, researchers hope to learn more about saber-toothed cats.
“Mummy research” Homotherium latidens For the first time, it is now possible to observe the baby’s fur, the shape of its muzzle, and the shape and position of its auricles. [ear]mouth opening and nasal flatus morphology,” the study authors wrote.
The mummy allowed researchers to take a closer look at this species’ legs and how their muscle mass is distributed. Furthermore, this discovery provides further evidence that saber-toothed cats were present in late Pleistocene Asia. Access to this specimen could allow researchers to compile a better map of cat evolution.
read more: Everything you need to know about the extinction of saber-toothed cats
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Before joining Discover Magazine, University of California, Whitewater alumna Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one focused on bees and the natural world. Her current work can also be found on her travel blog and in Common State Magazine. Her love of science began as a child watching PBS shows with her mother and bingeing Doctor Who.
