Discovered earlier in the year, the mammoth was finally presented to the scientific community this week. Its conservation status could help scientists learn more about these fascinating animals.
On Monday, December 23, Russian researchers presented the remains of a young mammoth to the scientific community. The animal, 50,000 years old, was found this summer in the Far North. on the territory of the Batagaika research station », informs AFP.
The mammoth is a female that measures 120 centimeters in height and less than two meters in length and weighs 180 kilograms. According to the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, the animal could be between a year old and older. Scientists were quick to name it Iana, after the river in which the remains were discovered.
What is striking at first glance is the almost intact preservation of the animal: “ We were all surprised by the exceptional preservation of this mammoth: there is no loss of the head, trunk, ears, mouth, with no visible damage or deformation. », Explains Anatoli Nikolaev, the rector of the university.
A state of conservation due to the cold climate of the region
Photo credit: TF1 info
The incredible condition in which the mammoth was found is made possible thanks to the extremely low temperatures of Yakutia (Siberia) which can reach up to -46°C. Therefore, the prehistoric animals that have already been found in this region are particularly well preserved.
In this regard, other prehistoric animals such as a horse, a bison or even the mummy of a lemming had been discovered in the region. But that of the mammoth Iana, due to its conservation “ will provide information on ontogeny [son développement, ndlr] mammoths, their adaptive characteristics, paleoecological conditions of their habitat and other aspects », Rejoices Anatoli Nikolaev, in a press release.
Photo credit: TF1 info
Worldwide, only six mammoth carcasses have been discovered: one in Canada and the rest in Russia. According to the University of Yakutsk, the remains of the mammoth Iana may be the best preserved ever found.
Photo credit: TF1 info
