Emily Chan
In Siberia, a group of gold miners accidentally discovered a mummified woolly rhino carcass while excavating the site of a new quarry.
The animal’s horn and soft tissues were still intact. The remains were located in Oymyakon, a rural human settlement of the Republic of Sakha in the Russian Far East.
Researchers from the Northeastern Federal University in Yakutsk visited the site and excavated the rhino’s horn.
It was then taken to the university, where it is being studied. The rest of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) will be dug up in the coming months.
“This is a truly unique find that will allow us to study the history of the region, its ancient fauna, climate, and geological conditions in more depth,” said Anatoly Nikolaev, the rector of the university.
The permafrost in Siberia provides the ideal conditions for ancient creatures to be preserved. The cold temperatures work to mummify the remains, dehydrate soft tissues, and freeze them in time.
According to Maxim Cheprasov, the senior researcher and head of the laboratory of the university’s Mammoth Museum, it is the fifth time that scientists have found a woolly rhino complete with soft tissues.
In the modern history of Northeastern Federal University, it is the first time that a discovery of this kind was made.
Such a find is rare and allows scientists to get a better look into the life and environment of the animal at the time of its death. In addition, it gives them a chance to extract ancient DNA from the remains.
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