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.
