28,000-year-old Cave Lion cub found frozen in Siberian permafrost
Scientists have discovered an astonishingly well-preserved cave lion cub in Siberia. Cave lions are an ancient big cat species that have been extinct for thousands of years.
The discovery was made in Siberia’s permafrost region, and scientists have said the animal would have lived around 28,000 years ago.
The female cub, which has been named Sparta, was found at the Semyuelyakh River in Russia’s Yakutia region in 2018.
A second lion cub, named Boris (seen below), was found the year before, according to a study published in the Quaternary science journal.
Image: Reuters
The cubs were found 15 metres apart but are not only from different litters but were also born thousands of years apart. Boris, a male cub, lived about 43,000 years ago, the study said.
Valery Plotnikov, one of the study’s authors, said that Sparta was so well preserved that it still had its fur and skeleton.
“The find itself is unique; there was no other such find in Yakutia,” he said.
The study hopes to learn more about how the ancient animals lived, including things like their diet and behaviour.
Cave lions are thought to be one of the largest species of lion to have ever lived. Scientists believe the Eurasian cave lion was as much as 10 percent larger than modern lions today.
See more here: bbc.co.uk
Header image: Reuters
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