Russian scientists have revealed the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth, named “Yana,” discovered this summer in the permafrost of Siberia’s Yakutia region. Found near the Batagaika crater—the world’s largest permafrost crater—Yana is considered the most well-preserved mammoth carcass ever uncovered.
Weighing over 100 kilograms and measuring 120 centimeters tall and 200 centimeters long, Yana is estimated to have been just one year old at the time of her death. Her remains were unearthed by local residents who noticed the thawing mammoth and constructed a makeshift stretcher to recover the carcass.
“Remarkably, even though some forelimbs were eaten by predators, the head is exceptionally well-preserved,” said Maxim Cherpasov, head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory.
Researchers believe Yana likely became trapped in a swamp, which helped preserve her body in the frozen ground for tens of thousands of years. Scientists at North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk are now conducting tests to confirm her exact age.
The discovery highlights the growing number of prehistoric finds as Siberia’s permafrost continues to thaw due to climate change. In recent years, the same region has yielded other significant specimens, including a 32,000-year-old sabre-tooth cat and a 44,000-year-old wolf.
Yana’s preservation offers an unprecedented glimpse into Ice Age wildlife, providing valuable insights into the ancient ecosystem of the region.
