Researchers have found exceptionally well-preserved remains of a partially mummified sabre-tooth tiger (pictured) in Siberian permafrost. The animal may have been there in a chunk of ice for more than 35,000 years.
However, the prehistoric predator doesn’t seem scary. The reason: the big cat was only three weeks old when it died. The animal was discovered in 2020 near the Badjaricha River in the Yakutia region above the Arctic Circle, the scientists report in the journal ‘Scientifc Reports’.
Using radiocarbon dating, they determined that the saber-toothed cat lived about 35,500 to 37,000 years ago, that is, in the late Pleistocene. According to the researchers, the kitten belonged to the now extinct species Homotherium latidens. Although these are rightly called saber-toothed tigers, they are also often called saber-toothed tigers.
Small ears and a thick neck
The kitten’s head and even the individual whiskers, the forelimbs with the clawed feet and the forebody of the animal have been preserved in detail. Bones of the hips and hind legs were also found.
The research team compared the remains with the anatomy of modern lion cubs of the same age and discovered some differences. In the study, the authors especially emphasize the saber-toothed cat’s thicker, muscular neck area, smaller ears and longer forelimbs, as well as its greatly shortened and wide nose.
The prehistoric cub also had thicker, darker fur and wider, rounded legs – likely an adaptation to the cold environment and running in the snow.
More insight into the distribution of the genus
Overall, the discovery of the Homotherium latidens mummy in Yakutia increases understanding of the genus’ distribution and confirms its presence in the late Pleistocene of Asia, the study said.
And further: “For the first time in the history of paleontological research, the appearance of an extinct mammal, which has no counterpart in modern fauna, was directly examined.”
Source: Krone
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