Rare, mummified Ice Age wolf pup and caribou dug up in Canada
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The wolf pup remains uncovered near Dawson, Yukon. The specimen is complete, with head, tail, fur and skin all intact. (Government of Yukon)
Two stunningly preserved ice age mammals were unearthed by gold miners in northwest Canada and unveiled in a ceremony on Thursday.
A wolf pup and a caribou calf were found by the miners in the Yukon territory in 2016 in the area's melting permafrost.
It's exceedingly rare for fur, skin and muscle tissues to be preserved in the fossil record, but all three are present on these specimens, which have radiocarbon-dated to more than 50,000 years old, reports the Guardian.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The wolf pup is reportedly preserved in its entirety, including exceptional details of the head, tail, paws, skin and hair, while the caribou calf is only partially preserved.
“To our knowledge, this is the only mummified ice age wolf ever found in the world,” Grant Zazula, a local palaeontologist working with the Yukon government, told the British publication.
Julie Meachen, a carnivore morphologist who works with Ice Age mammals at Des Moines University, told the Guardian: “When Grant sent me the pictures and asked me to participate I was really, really excited. I was sort of beside myself.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We want to do an ancient DNA test to see who it’s related to and look at its microbiome to see if there are gut bacteria still there,” said Meachen.
The mummified remains of the caribou. (Government of Yukon)
Other researchers reacted with similar enthusiasm to the discovery of such well-preserved specimens.
Elsa Panciroli, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, told the Guardian: “Ice Age wolf bones are relatively common in the Yukon, but having an animal preserved with skin and fur is just exceptional ... It’s an evocative glimpse into the Ice Age world.”