Well-Preserved 50,000-Year-Old Baby Mammoth Yana Unearthed in Siberia

The well-preserved remains of a baby mammoth, estimated to be 50,000 years old, were recently revealed by researchers in Russia. Found in the thawing permafrost of the Yakutia region, the specimen has been named “Yana,” referencing the river near which it was uncovered during the summer. According to North-Eastern Federal University, where the remains are displayed, Yana is among the most intact mammoth carcasses ever discovered. Reports confirm that this marks one of only seven complete mammoth remains unearthed globally.

Discovery at Batagaika Crater

Yana’s remains were located in the Batagaika crater, an expansive depression in the Verkhoyansky district that continues to expand due to climate change. The mammoth, weighing over 240 pounds and measuring approximately four feet in length, is believed to have died at around one-year-old. Maxim Cherpasov, Head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory in Yakutsk, stated to Reuters that the survival of the head and trunk in such pristine condition is highly unusual. Typically, these parts are consumed by modern predators or scavengers soon after exposure, but Yana’s head remained largely intact.

A Historic Find in Siberian Permafrost

In recent years, Siberia’s permafrost has yielded numerous prehistoric animal remains due to rising temperatures. The Batagaika research station, near where Yana was found, has also provided remains of a horse, a bison, and a lemming. Anatoly Nikolayev, Rector of North-Eastern Federal University, shared in official reports that the preservation of Yana is extraordinary.

This discovery adds to the growing list of remarkable finds in Yakutia, including the remains of a 32,000-year-old sabre-toothed cat cub and a 44,000-year-old wolf carcass uncovered earlier this year. Researchers are continuing tests to gather more insights into Yana’s life and environment, as per Reuters.