Rare Mummified Saber-Tooth Cat Cub Found in Siberia Still Has Fur

Learn why this one-of-a-kind discovery helps researchers understand more about the saber-tooth cat.

By Monica Cull
Nov 21, 2024 8:00 PMNov 21, 2024 10:31 PM
Saber tooth lion cub
(A) Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene (Credit: A. V. Lopatin)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Amidst the permafrost in Yakutia, Russia, researchers uncovered a mummified saber-tooth cat cub (Homotherium latidens). The well-preserved mummy, still covered in fur, is a first-of-its-kind discovery and could reveal more about the ancient species. 

According to recent findings in Scientific Reports, researchers discovered the cub on the banks of the Badyarikha River. Carbon dating indicates that the specimen is over 30,000 years old, proving the cub lived during the Ice Age or Pleistocene epoch. 

This area of Siberia is home to other prehistoric finds, such as woolly mammoths and rhinos; however, according to the study, finding mummified big cats is rare. Other big cats found in the area included a 28,000-year-old cave lion with whiskers still intact. Paleontologists are hopeful that this find could provide a plethora of information on saber-tooth cats. 

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2025 LabX Media Group