Researchers in Siberia, Russia, have unveiled the 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth discovered by melting permafrost, calling it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found.

Yana, a female mammoth estimated to have died at just over one year old, was discovered in June at the Batagaika crater, the world’s largest permafrost crater. Measuring 120 cm tall and weighing over 100 kilograms, Yana’s body was remarkably well-preserved, with her head, trunk, ears, and mouth intact, a rarity in mammoth discoveries. Maxim Cherpasov, the head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory at the North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU), described Yana’s preservation as “exceptional,” adding that the head remains particularly well-preserved, despite parts of her body, such as the forelimbs, having been scavenged.

The discovery was made by local residents who, upon noticing the mammoth’s partial thawing from the permafrost wall, took the initiative to extract the remains. The locals used makeshift equipment to lift the mammoth to safety.

A 50,000-year-old baby mammoth remains uncovered by melting permafrost. Credit: Kanal13 (Image sourced from a Creative Commons video).

Yana’s remains were recovered from the Batagaika crater, which has been the site of several significant prehistoric finds. Last year, researchers uncovered the remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf, and in 2020, part of a 32,000-year-old mummified sabre-toothed cat was unearthed. These discoveries are shedding light on the biodiversity and ecosystem of the Pleistocene epoch, a time when mammoths roamed the earth.

The ongoing melting of permafrost due to climate change is exposing these ancient fossils at an accelerating rate. As Cherpasov pointed out, “Even though the forelimbs have already been eaten, the head is remarkably well preserved.”

The remains of Yana are now being studied at NEFU in Yakutsk, where scientists are conducting tests to confirm the exact age of the mammoth and analyze her biological traits. Researchers are particularly interested in using modern techniques to extract DNA from Yana’s remains and analyze the ancient environment in which she lived.

The Batagaika crater, which is approximately one kilometer deep, has become a focal point for paleontologists due to its continuous exposure of ancient remains. Yana’s discovery, as one of only seven well-preserved baby mammoth carcᴀsses found globally, is expected to deepen our understanding of these majestic creatures and their relationship with the changing environment.