An autopsy was conducted on a fossil wolf that lived over 44,000 years ago, found mummified in the Siberian permafrost, at the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of the North-Eastern Federal University.
Researchers took samples of internal organs to identify and study ancient viruses and microbiota, as well as the animal’s diet, analyze its genome, and compare it with its modern relatives. This is the first complete discovery of an adult predator of such geological antiquity, unparalleled in the world.
The well-preserved mummy of the fossil wolf was discovered in 2021 in the permafrost, about 40 meters deep, in the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyysky district by local residents. For scientific research, the find was delivered to the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
Albert Protopopov, head of the mammoth fauna study department at the Yakutia Academy of Sciences, emphasized that this is the first global find of an adult predator from the Late Pleistocene. Its stomach has been preserved in isolation, without contamination, making the task complex. As a result of the preparation carried out, we expect to obtain a snapshot of the ancient Pleistocene biota. It was an active and large predator, and we have the opportunity to know what it ate. Additionally, its stomach also contains objects consumed by its prey, the scientist commented.
In sterile conditions, scientists took samples of the internal organs to study the animal’s diet, ancient viruses, and microbiota, as well as samples from the find to compare its genome with that of the modern wolf. Samples were also taken for other studies. Additionally, we took a premolar – a tooth to determine the biological age of the find. But from the wear of the teeth and the development of the sagittal crest, we can already say that it is an adult male, explained Maxim Cheprasov, head of the Mammoth Museum Laboratory at the North-Eastern Federal University. He added that after thorough research of the find, scientists at the North-Eastern Federal University will begin studying another wolf found in the Nizhnekolymsky district of Yakutia, brought in 2023.
Our main goal is to understand what this wolf ate, who it was, and how it relates to the ancient wolves that inhabited the northeastern part of Eurasia, particularly Yakutia, commented Artem Nedoluzhko, scientific director of the paleogenomics laboratory at the European University in St. Petersburg.
He emphasized the importance of continuing collaboration with the university. According to him, only interdisciplinary studies using various methods allow for a deeper understanding of the planet’s history, understanding what caused the mass extinctions of various animal and plant species, and generally predicting the future.
Artemy Goncharov, head of the functional genomics and proteomics laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, professor in the department of epidemiology, parasitology, and disinfection at the North-Western State Medical University of Russia, added that they have been conducting joint research with scientists from the North-Eastern Federal University for ten years. Our scientific interaction with the Mammoth Museum at the North-Eastern Federal University has allowed us to learn more about the bacteria that inhabited the mammoth steppe since the Pleistocene period. We see that in fossil animal finds, live bacteria can survive for millennia, bearing witness to those ancient times. We hope to obtain good results that will allow us to advance in understanding what ancient microbial communities were like, what role they played, and what dangerous pathogenic bacteria were present in their structure. Possibly, microorganisms will be discovered that can be applied in medicine and biotechnology as producers of biologically active substances. Therefore, these studies have a significant impact on the future, concluded the scientist.
- Share on:
Discover more from LBV Magazine English Edition
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
The Jaxartes River, the Battle Where Alexander Defeated the Scythians Using Catapults, Wounded and with Nearly His Entire Army Sick with Dysentery
As its name indicates, the Spanish Cape of Finisterre (finis terrae) was considered in Antiquity as the westernmost limit of the known world. But where was the eastern border located…
Nature of the Enigmatic “Armas de la tierra” of the Coronado Expedition in the 16th Century Revealed
Recent research has unveiled the nature of the weaponry used by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition (which crossed the present-day U.S. states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas),…
A Megalography Depicting a Rare Mythological Scene of Achilles and Bronze Statuettes Found in a Roman “Domus” in Reims
The urban organization of Durocortorum, the Gallo-Roman city now known as Reims in France, faithfully adhered to the principles of Roman urbanism. The city was divided into blocks bounded by…
Neolithic Rondel Found in Poland Reveals These Ceremonial Centers May Have Been Managed by Organizations Similar to Secret Societies 7,000 Years Ago
An archaeological discovery in the locality of Nowe Objezierze, in the northwest of Poland, has led to a significant breakthrough in understanding the Neolithic societies of Central Europe. An interdisciplinary…
New Geoarchaeological Evidence Challenges the Identification of Kalkriese Hill as the place of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest
Kalkriese Hill, located in northwestern Germany, has been identified for decades as a potential site of the historic Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE, a decisive confrontation between…
The Newly Formed Earth Was a Dry and Hot Place: A Theory Explains How Water Arrived Here and on Other Planets of the Solar System
A group of scientists from the Paris Observatory has proposed a new theory about how water arrived on Earth, a key question for understanding the emergence of life on our…
Analysis of Mesopotamian Texts in Akkadian Reveals How Emotions Were Experienced: Love Was Felt in the Knees
Love and emotions have been universal themes throughout human history, expressed in diverse ways but with commonalities across different cultures and eras. A fascinating recent study reveals that people in…
Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, the chronicles of the Korean kingdom spanning five centuries, are the longest uninterrupted ones of a single dynasty in history
In 2006, the Seoul government announced that the Guksa Pyeonchan Wiwonhoe (National Institute of Korean History) had undertaken the digitization of the Joseon Wangjo Sillok, that is, the “Veritable Records…
Tsakonian Is the Only Current Greek Language That Derives from the One Spoken by the Spartans
Although it is officially considered a dialect, Tsakonian is a divergent variety of Greek frequently classified as a separate language, as it is not intelligible to speakers of standard Modern…
Structures Found in Iraq Reveal the Deliberate Collapse of One of the First Centralized Governments Over 5,000 Years Ago
At the archaeological site of Shakhi Kora, located in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, excavations have provided new insights into the origin and evolution of the earliest state institutions, dated to…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
