Yakutsk, Russia
A prehistoric wolf dating back to 44,000 years has undergone an autopsy. The mummified predator was found in 2021 about 40 metres below permafrost by the river Tirekhtyakh in East Russia. Scientists believe that this discovery will help us understand life during the ice age.
As reported by Live Science, this mummified adult wolf from the late Pleistocene epoch (between 2.6 million years and 11,700 years ago) is the first of its kind to have been discovered, according to the statement from the North-Eastern Federal University, where the ancient predator was examined.
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The cold and dry conditions in permafrost allow the animals to be mummified and preserved for centuries. The scientists took samples of the internal organs and gastrointestinal tract from the carcass of the age-old wolf to study its health and diet.
"His stomach has been preserved in an isolated form, there are no contaminants, so the task is not trivial," Albert Protopopov head of the department for the study of mammoth fauna of the Academy of Sciences of Yakutia, said in a statement according to Live Science. "We hope to obtain a snapshot of the biota of the ancient Pleistocene."
The wolf was identified as an adult male based on its tooth analysis and was an active and large predator. The team of researchers will be able to detect his diet, as well as the diets of animals it had consumed and remained in its stomach.
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A living bacteria can survive in fossils for thousands of years. The scientists believe examining the microorganisms that might be still living inside the wolf in a dormant and frozen state may benefit modern-day biotechnology and medicine.
This project will help discover the wildlife and other ancient species that existed during the Pleistocene. The team will also study another ancient wolf found in 2023 in the Nizhnekolymsk region of northeast Siberia.
(With inputs from agencies)