Remarkably Preserved Baby Mammoth Unearthed in Siberia, Offers Window into Ice Age

The remarkably well-preserved remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth, nicknamed Yana, have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia’s Siberian region, The Associated Press reports.

The discovery, hailed as the best-preserved mammoth body ever found, was made possible by melting permafrost in the area.

Yana, a female mammoth, weighs over 220 pounds and stands 47 inches tall. Scientists estimate that she was around one year old at the time of her death. Her remains are among only seven known mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide, making this find particularly significant.

The mammoth was discovered at the Batagaika crater in Yakutia, a remote region in far-eastern Russia. Known locally as the “gateway to the underworld,” the kilometer-deep crater is a result of thawing permafrost and has become a hotspot for discovering the remains of prehistoric animals, including bison, horses, and dogs.

The melting permafrost, driven by climate change, continues to unveil more and more parts of these long-extinct creatures, providing scientists with unprecedented opportunities to study them.

Yana will be studied at Russia’s North-Eastern Federal University, which houses a dedicated mammoth research center and museum. The university described the find as “exceptional,” emphasizing its potential to provide valuable insights into how mammoths lived and adapted to their environments during the Ice Age.