A saber-toothed tiger discovered entirely preserved in Siberia, a first since its extinction 28,000 years ago

In 2020, fossil researchers made an exceptional discovery in Siberia: that of a Homotherium latidens, a feline whose species became extinct 28,000 years ago. This specimen, frozen and partially intact, reveals unique features to the great surprise of scientists.

In 2020, a group of fossil researchers made an exceptional discovery in the ice mountains of Eastern Siberia, along the banks of the Badyarikha River. What they thought was animal fur turned out to be a partial mummy of a saber-toothed tiger, in an unusual state of preservation.

This animal, identified as a Homotherium latidens, is the first frozen specimen of this extinct species which became extinct 28,000 years ago. For Alexey Lopatin, paleontologist at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the animal was only three weeks old at the time of its death and it lived on earth around 35,000 years ago. If its long front legs and robust shoulders corresponded to the hypotheses that were made about the morphology of the animal, other aspects surprised the researchers.

“A big mouth and small ears”

Alexey Lopatin and his colleagues wrote that the frozen tiger cub had “a large mouth and small ears, a particularly massive neck, long front legs and dark fur,” which is not usual for animals of this species . On the front legs, the pads and sharp claws were still present.

“This is the first time that paleontologists have had the opportunity to study the appearance of an extinct mammal for which there is no contemporary related species,” the researchers said. “For decades we have been hoping to see a saber-toothed feline emerge from the permafrost (part of a permanently frozen cryosol, editor's note).

This incredible discovery is one of the most exciting moments of my career,” declared Manuel Salesa, specialist in saber-toothed tigers at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, in the columns of the New York Times.

The study of this animal is only just beginning. The scientific team plans to analyze his DNA as well as his muscles and fur with more precision.