Discovery of saber-toothed pups frozen 37,000 years ago has experts surprised

More than 11,000 years ago there was a large group of carnivorous mammals who were known as “”saber toothThey had long, curved saber-shaped teeth They used to come out when the mouth was closedLike the movie character Diego ice age,

Recently, an unprecedented discovery revealed surprising details about a species of sabretooth. they found one frozen puppy of species Homotherium latidensTheir remains are in permafrost siberia for 37,000 years and its analysis was published in the journal scientific report,

In fact, the discovery of Puppy This happened around the year 2020 Badyarikha RiverNorth of siberiaBut it has now been released in a journal after independent peer review.

The authors are from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Borisoglebsk Paleontological Institute and the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology. “For the first time in the history of paleontology, the presence of an extinct mammal that has no analog in modern organisms has been studied,” they say in the article.

what species was the frozen cub Homotherium latidens, Which was from the cat family and was distinguished by unique physical characteristics.

Individuals of that species had relatively small teeth compared to other similar species. SmilodonThey were specialized hunters and probably hunted in groups.

This species inhabited a vast area that spanned From North America to Eurasia and AfricaThey adapted to open habitats such as savannas and grasslands, which allowed them to hunt larger herbivores.

It is believed that they existed during this period pleistoceneBetween about 2.5 million and 10,000 years ago. Its appearance coincides with the expansion of large herbivorous mammals.

Their extinction is attributed to a combination of climate-related factors, such as the end of the last ice age, and the decline of large prey. It is also suspected that competition with other predators, including early humans, may have played a role.

The cub’s body, including the head, front limbs and the animal’s hindquarters, was found in a block of ice.

Radiocarbon dating tests indicate that it lived during the Late Pleistocene, 35,500 to 37,000 years ago. Investigators estimated that the puppy was about three weeks old at the time of death. They did this keeping in mind the development of their baby’s incisor teeth.

The state of preservation of the body is remarkable. The puppy is covered with thick, soft brown hair, and it still has two rows of broken whiskers on its lips. The front paws retain soft pads and sharp claws, giving a clear picture of their anatomy and physiological adaptations.

There has been debate for decades about the presence of prehistoric big cats when considering only fossil bones. Instead, the discovery of the frozen pup reveals more about its soft tissue anatomy, such as the shape of its ears, snout, muscles and wide feet, which are adapted for walking in deep snow.

He Homotherium shared some physical similarities with modern african lionAlthough its body was small and its limbs were long. These differences were already apparent in the three-week-old pups. Furthermore, the discovery revealed a surprise: the puppy had a Strong neck, twice as thick as that of a modern lion.

The discovery not only provides a window into the past of these predators, but also expands knowledge about their biology and ecology. It also shows how these animals adapted to their environment during the Pleistocene.

Researchers concluded that Homotherium latidens It had unique morphological adaptations to cold climates, such as wide feet and claws adapted for snow.

Its distribution also included North East AsiaWhich was not recorded earlier. While analysis confirms physical characteristics, such as broad skulls and prominent canines, are adapted to a specialized carnivorous diet.