A mummy of a saber-toothed cat was discovered in very good condition and says a lot about this extinct species.
Woolly mammoths, giant sloths and saber-toothed cats are among the dominant and imposing prehistoric animal species that have become extinct. Mummies of these species have been found and studied to understand the lives of these ancient animals. Paleontologists recently discovered the first mummy of a saber-toothed cat in the Russian region of Yakutia. It was frozen in the Siberian permafrost. They presented their discovery in Scientific Reports.
This mummy is approximately 32,000 years old and belonged to a three-week-old calf of the species Homotherium latidens. The latter became extinct 12,000 years ago following global warming and human activity. It was presented in Eurasia and North America, hunting young mammoths in particular.
Until now, the representation of this prehistoric animal remained approximate, only having fossilized bones. With this specimen, whose remains were well preserved, they were able to learn more about its true appearance.
Specialists noticed its dark fur and small ears. “The uniform dark brown color of the mummy’s fur turned out to be completely unexpected,” reported paleontologist Alexey Lopatin, lead author of the study. However, it is likely that this fur became lighter over time.
They also saw the preparation for the arrival of massive incisors, which did not have time to grow in view of his early death. The upper lip of the animal, twice as deep as that of the lion cub as we know it today, suggests that long canines could be hidden when the animal had its mouth closed. This “little kitten” was therefore destined to become a “great predator”. Its morphology also testifies to its capacity to resist the freezing cold and its large and rounded legs attest that it was adapted to walking in the snow.
This species has no modern equivalent. It is very different from today’s felines. The discovery of this mummy is a major advance in the study of the saber-toothed cat. “This is the first time in the history of paleontology that the external appearance of an extinct mammal which has no analogue in modern fauna has been studied,” declared the lead author of the paper. study Alexey Lovatin.