Warning: This article contains graphic pictures. Reader discretion is advised.
Stunning pictures show a female baby mammoth, dating back over 130,000 years, being dissected by Russian scientists. The mammoth, nicknamed ‘Yana,’ was discovered in the permafrost of Yakutia, Russia, and was dissected at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk on March 27. The baby mammoth closely resembles a modern baby elephant, with its mouth open and trunk curled during the dissection.
Initially, scientists believed Yana lived 50,000 years ago, but the estimate was updated to over 130,000 years after analyzing the permafrost layer where she was found. Maxim Cherpasov, head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory, noted that the mammoth was just over a year old when she died, and that the corpse had already been partially eaten by predators upon discovery.
Despite the partial damage, the head of the mammoth was remarkably well-preserved, offering valuable insights into the creature’s anatomy. This rare discovery is not unique, as other mammoth remains have been found in recent years, such as a mammoth bone discovered by a fisherman in Poland and a Columbian mammoth tusk found in Mississippi. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of Ice Age ecosystems and the preservation of ancient remains in permafrost conditions.