A group of international scientists have determined the age of two well-preserved lion cubs previously found in the permafrost in Yakutia, CNN reports.
Ancient animals were discovered in northeastern Siberia in 2017-2018, 15 meters apart. Scientists have long believed that lion cubs were brother and sister. However, in the course of genetic examination, it became known that predators differ in age by about 15 thousand years. So, the male lion cub is more than 43 thousand years old, and the female lion is about 28 thousand years old. Scientists gave them the names Boris and Sparta.
“Considering how well they were preserved, we can say that the bodies were buried very quickly. Maybe they died in a landslide or fell into a crack in the permafrost in the permafrost due to seasonal thawing and freezing, large cracks often form. – said the professor of evolutionary genetics Love Dalen.
According to him, at the time of death, both cubs were only 1-2 months old, computed tomography showed damage to the skull, dislocated ribs and other deformities of the skeleton.
“Perhaps Sparta is the best preserved among the animals of the Ice Age found. The body is almost intact, only the hair is slightly raised. Even the mustache has been preserved. Boris has more injuries, but he is also in good condition, ”he concluded.
At the end of December last year, the remains of a woolly rhinoceros that lived during the Ice Age were also found in Siberia. It was noted that the body of the animal was better preserved than previously found specimens of this species. “A small nasal horn has also survived – this is rare, since it decomposes rather quickly. The research revealed traces of wear on it, that is, the rhinoceros used it actively for food, ”said Valery Plotnikov, a leading researcher at the mammoth fauna research department at the Academy of Sciences of the region.
