Additional Coverage:
- A frozen wolf discovered in Siberia turned out to be 44,000 years old. It’s so well-preserved that scientists are checking its gut for ancient viruses. (businessinsider.com)
Locals in Siberia uncovered a mummified wolf encased in melting permafrost, a remarkable find that has captured the attention of scientists. The 44,000-year-old specimen was discovered in the Yakutia region of eastern Russia, an area known for its rich permafrost layers that are beginning to thaw due to global warming.
The North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk is spearheading research into the ancient wolf, which is astonishingly well-preserved with its fur, teeth, and some internal organs still intact. This preservation offers a unique window into the Pleistocene era, allowing scientists to explore aspects of the wolf’s life, from its diet to its environment, and even the ancient microbes it might have carried.
Robert Losey, an anthropologist at the University of Alberta not involved in the research, expressed amazement at the find, noting it as the first complete adult Pleistocene wolf ever discovered. The analysis of this ancient predator’s genetics and lifestyle could offer unprecedented insights into the past, including how it relates to today’s wolf species.
Researchers are particularly intrigued by the contents of the wolf’s stomach, hoping it will reveal details about its last meal and provide evidence of ancient bacteria and viruses, some of which could have implications for modern medicine. The wolf, believed to be an extinct species and larger than today’s wolves, lived in an icy landscape teeming with mammoths, wooly rhinoceroses, and other extinct animals.
This discovery contributes to a broader effort to study a variety of ancient animals unearthed from the permafrost, including hares, horses, and bears. Such research is becoming increasingly urgent as the thawing permafrost also risks releasing ancient pathogens, as demonstrated by a recent anthrax outbreak in Siberia traced back to a frozen reindeer carcass.
Last year, scientists revived a 48,000-year-old virus found in the Siberian permafrost, highlighting the potential risks and unknowns lying within these ancient icy graves. The ongoing study of the 44,000-year-old wolf and other permafrost finds aims not only to uncover the secrets of the past but also to better understand the challenges that could arise as these ancient ice layers continue to melt.