Gold prospectors in Siberia accidentally stumbled upon the carcass of a woolly rhinoceros during excavation work. And there was still living matter attached to it.
The miners in the very cold Republic of Sakha, also known as Yakutia, accidentally came across carcasses while digging a new quarry. Surprised by what was found, they called scientists from Yakutsk State University who were able to carefully excavate the carcass. “This is a truly unique discovery that allows us to study in more detail the history of the area, its ancient fauna, its climate and its geological conditions,” Anatoly Nikolaev, rector of NEFU, said in a statement.
“Time Capsule”
Siberian permafrost provides excellent conditions for preserving ancient creatures. The cold weather squishes the remains, with soft materials usually drying up and trapped in a “time capsule.”
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Such soft tissue is rarely found and allows scientists to better understand the animal’s life and environment at the time of its death than skeletal remains. It also gives a better chance of extracting old DNA from the remains.
According to Maxim Cheprasov, a researcher at the State University, this is only the fifth time that such soft tissue has been found from a woolly rhinoceros. It is said that the carcass belonged to an adult specimen, but it would be too early to say the species of the rhinoceros. “The exact biological age and sex of the animal will be determined after a comprehensive examination of the carcass itself,” said Cheprasov. “Then we will be able to obtain data on anatomical and morphological characteristics, geological age, diet, genetic associations with previously studied products, and so on.”
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Woolly rhinoceros is less well known than its contemporary mammoth, the woolly mammoth. Rhinos were large, prehistoric mammals that roamed the cold, dry plains of Europe and northern Asia until about 10,000 years ago.
2024-08-09 10:59:20
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