Mummified sabre-tooth discovery reshapes prehistoric insights
For the first time in the history of science, researchers have extracted the mummified, frozen body of a young sabre-toothed cat from the Arctic permafrost. Although the remains are over 35,000 years old, the extremely low temperatures have preserved them in an extraordinary condition. The fur, head, torso, and limbs are intact.
The animal’s body, dated to around 37,000 years ago, was found in northeastern Siberia. Scientists emphasise that such well-preserved remains of extinct mammals from the late Pleistocene epoch are extremely rare.
The young predator retained almost the entire front part of its body, including the head, limbs, paws, and torso. Fragments of the pelvis and femur and tibia bones were found in the icy crust near the main find. Such a good condition of the remains is a unique event, considering that typically, the remains of prehistoric animals are scattered and damaged by predators, scavengers, or natural processes.
Insights into physiology and adaptations
Detailed studies revealed that the young H. latidens significantly differed from modern lions of a similar age. It had a unusual snout structure with a wide mouth, small ears, and an exceptionally massive neck. Its forelimbs were elongated, and the paws relatively broad, which could have been an adaptation to living in cold conditions. Interestingly, it lacked a wrist pad—a feature that probably allowed the animal to move better on snow.
The young specimen’s fur was dark brown, short, dense, and soft, with longer hairs on the back and neck and characteristic tufts of fur at the corners of the snout. Whiskers were also preserved on the snout, giving an idea of what the animal looked like in life.
A new perspective on the species' range
The discovery in Yakutia provides evidence that H. latidens, previously known mainly from the southern parts of Eurasia, also inhabited the northern regions of Asia during the late Pleistocene.
H. latidens was the only representative of its kind to inhabit Eurasia at that time. Findings from northern Spain suggest that this species specialised in hunting large animals, such as aurochs or deer. Adaptations to the cold climate indicate that the predator managed well in the harsh conditions of the glaciated world.
Further research steps
Although the initial analyses have already provided valuable information, scientists plan further research. The next article, which the team is working on, will focus on a detailed discussion of the young predator’s anatomy to better understand its biology and ecological adaptations.
The study has been published in the scientific journal "Scientific Reports", and its findings not only enrich the knowledge about H. latidens but also shed light on life in the late Pleistocene times, when climate changes radically shaped the world of fauna and flora.
