'Best preserved' mammoth carcass discovered in Siberia

Siberia, Russia

Researchers in Russia revealed on Monday (Dec 24) that the carcass of a 50,000-year-old female baby mammoth was found in the Yakutia region of Siberia in June.

The remains of the female mammoth were named Yana after the river in whose basin it was found by some local residents. Experts said it is the best-preserved mammoth carcass in the world, and one of only seven remains ever found.

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Mammoth remains 'found'

The remains of the mammoth were found in the Batagaika Crater, which has expanded since the 1960s, unveiling other historic finds such as a horse and bison, TASS, the Russian state news agency, reported.

> The carcass was discovered as a portion of the crater collapsed unveiling half of the mammoth which led to the local residents finding it.

> Maksim Cheprasov, a researcher, said it was a “unique discovery”. The carcass's front part fell to the bottom of the hole while the back half which included hind legs was in the permafrost. The back half was later collected by his colleagues.

> The carcass weighs 180 kg (397 lbs) and is 120 cm (4 ft) tall and 200 cm long.

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Previous findings 

North-Eastern Federal University is reviewing the carcass presently. Before the discovery of this baby mammoth, only six mammoth carcasses had been traced globally, five in Russia and one in Canada, the university said. 

“We were all surprised by the exceptional preservation of the mammoth,” said the university rector, Anatoly Nikolayev.

Studies continue to learn more about the carcass’s exact age.

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