Mummified Woolly Rhinoceros Discovered in Siberia
Mummified remains of woolly rhinoceros with intact soft parts have been discovered in Siberia, opening new scientific perspectives on the last ice age.
The mummified remains of an extinct woolly rhinoceros have been discovered in Siberia, frozen like a piece of meat for thousands of years. The prehistoric animal still has its soft tissues intact, opening up intriguing scientific possibilities. The discovery was made recently at a mining site in the Oymyakonsky district of the Republic of Sakha, in the Russian Far East, as reported by the Northeastern Federal University (NEFU, https://www.s-vfu.ru/news/detail.php?SECTION_ID=25&ELEMENT_ID=244877).
Researchers from NEFU returned from the site with the horn of the extinct beast, noting that the rest of the carcass will be fully excavated in the fall for preservation. According to morphological parameters, the animal belonged to a mature individual. The exact biological age and sex will be determined after a thorough examination of the carcass itself.
"We will be able to obtain data on the anatomical and morphological characteristics, geological age, diet, genetic links with previous findings, etc.," stated Maxim Cheprasov, a senior researcher and head of the Mammoth Museum laboratory at NEFU.
While currently unknown, it is undoubtedly a specimen from the last Ice Age. The woolly rhinoceros inhabited Northern Eurasia during the Pleistocene epoch until about 11,700 years ago, when the Earth warmed and temperatures rose. Climate change and human activity contributed to its extinction.
This is the first time the NEFU's Mammoth Museum has obtained remains of a woolly rhinoceros, although five other specimens with soft parts have been found in the Republic of Sakha since the late 18th century. This unique discovery will allow for deeper knowledge of prehistoric creatures and environmental changes over the millennia.
The Rector of NEFU, Anatoly Nikolaev, emphasized the importance of the find for scientific research, describing it as an incredible resource. Other species, such as mammoths, cave lions, and birds, have been found in the frozen region, demonstrating the paleontological richness of the area.
In 2021, a frozen wolf was discovered under about 40 meters of permafrost on the Tirekhtyakh River in the Russian Far East. Scientists from the NEFU's Mammoth Museum were able to perform an autopsy on its body, obtaining important information about its life.
All these discoveries raise the question of whether one day we might find the frozen remains of Neanderthals, the sister species of Homo sapiens that inhabited parts of Eurasia still covered in ice during the Pleistocene. Although the chances are low, the hypothesis remains fascinating to the scientific community.
