The World’s ‘Best Preserved’ Baby Woolly Mammoth Discovered in Siberian Crater
The remains of a baby woolly mammoth, estimated to be over 50,000 years old, have been unearthed in a Siberian crater known as the Mouth of Hell, or Batagaika megaslump. The mammoth, named Yana, is considered the most intact of its kind found in the world, with her trunk, lips, ears, and eye sockets still preserved.
Yana’s remains were discovered in June 2024, but the findings were only recently announced by Russian scientists. The mammoth was only one year old when she died, and her back suffered a fatal injury during the Ice Age. She was about 4ft tall at the withers, weighing approximately 180kg (28 stone, or almost 400lbs).
The unique preservation of Yana’s body is attributed to the harsh conditions in the rapidly expanding thermokarst depression, where the permafrost has preserved her remains. The carbide giant hole, 330ft deep, 3,300ft long, and 2,650ft wide, is a rapidly thawing area, emitting up to 5,000 tons of organic carbon per year.
The examination of Yana’s remains showed that her head is “uniquely preserved, as are all the organs,” with her trunk, lips, ears, and eye sockets intact, indicating that predators such as sparrows or small mammals did not eat her. However, her limbs were eaten, likely by these predators.
Researchers plan to undertake major tests on Yana’s remains next year to learn more about the ancient creature and her circumstances of death. The discovery of Yana is one of several significant finds in the Russian permafrost, including a 42,170-year-old prehistoric baby horse and a 32,000-year-old sabre-toothed cat cub.
