- Wolf found in Yakutia, eastern Russia, has preserved fur, bones and even organs
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A ferocious-looking ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact has been discovered in Siberian permafrost after 44,000 years.
Experts say the adult male wolf found in Yakutia, eastern Russia, has amazingly well-preserved fur, bones and even organs, as well as teeth and bones.
It was taken to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk, where it underwent an autopsy.
Permafrost is ground that remains permanently frozen even during the summer months – and can remain frozen for thousands of years.
Ancient remains found in permafrost are among the most complete ever found, because the ice prevents the decomposition of organic matter.
An astonishingly well-preserved ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact has been discovered in Siberian permafrost after 44,000 years
An autopsy has been performed on an ancient wolf preserved by permafrost – the ‘permanently’ frozen earth in cold regions
The wolf was discovered by locals in 2021 in the permafrost at a depth of about 40 meters on the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi district of Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region.
Experts say it is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy – and even its stomach survived.
“The stomach has remained isolated, without contamination,” said Dr. Albert Protopopov, head of the Department of Mammoth Fauna Study at the Yakutia Academy of Sciences.
‘As a result of the dissection, we hope to obtain a direct cross-section of the biota from the ancient Pleistocene.
‘It was an active and large predator, and we have the opportunity to find out what it ate.
“Additionally, its stomach contains the remains of what its prey has consumed.”
The incredible find was discovered by locals in 2021 and confirmed by the experts as an adult male wolf
It was taken to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk, where it underwent an autopsy.
The wolf was found in the permafrost at a depth of about 40 meters near the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi district of Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region.
Dr. Maxim Cheprasov, head of the Mammoth Museum Laboratory, said: ‘We extracted a premolar – a tooth – to determine the biological age of the find.
‘However, based on the wear of the teeth and the development of the sagittal crest, we can already say that this is an adult male.’
Professor Artemy Goncharov, head of the Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, said such research could lead to modern-day benefits.
“We see that living bacteria can survive for millennia in fossil animal finds, serving as witnesses to those ancient times,” he said.
Experts say it is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy – and even its stomach survived
Permafrost is soil that remains permanently frozen even during the summer months – and can remain frozen for thousands of years
‘We hope for good results that will allow us to better understand what ancient microbial communities looked like, what function they performed and how dangerous pathogenic bacteria were represented in their structure.
‘It is possible that microorganisms will be found that can be used in medicine and biotechnology as promising producers of biologically active substances.
‘This research therefore has a special impact on the future.’