Russian scientists on Monday flaunted the extremely well-preserved remains of an infant mammoth found in the Siberian republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
The 50,000-year-old female mammoth has actually been nicknamed Yana after the river in whose basin it was found this summer.Experts say Yana is the best preserved massive carcass in the world and is one of just seven whole remains ever found.Studies will now be carried out to work out her specific age at death, approximated at one years of age or a bit more.
The carcass was shown at the Federal University of the North East in the local capital of Yakutsk, the institution stated in a declaration.
We were all surprised by the exceptional conservation of the mammoth, university rector Anatoly Nikolayev said.Researcher Maxim Cheprasov said it was a special discovery.
The remains weigh 180 kgs (397 pounds) and are 120 centimeters (4 feet) tall and 200 centimeters long.The carcass was dug up near the Batagaika research study station where the remains of other ancient animals a horse, a bison and a lemming have also been found.Before this discovery, only six mammoth carcasses had been discovered in the world five in Russia and one in Canada the university said.Sakha is a remote region bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Its permafrost acts like a huge freezer that preserves the remains of ancient animals.