The baby wolf's mummy was discovered by a gold digger in 2016. -
Pixabay
A mummy discovered in 2016 in the permafrost of the Yukon (Canada) begins to reveal its secrets.
This is a 57,000-year-old Cub.
Monday, December 21, paleontologists from Des Moines University, in Iowa (United States), delivered their findings in the scientific journal
Current Biology
, reports the
Huffington Post
.
The mummy, nicknamed Zhùr by the locals, had been discovered by a miner in search of gold.
The animal is extremely well preserved, much to the surprise of scientists.
“It is the most complete wolf specimen ever found since the Ice Age,” explained Julie Meachen, associate professor of anatomy at Des Moines University.
About seven weeks old
According to the researchers, the animal died on completely frozen ground and was covered very quickly.
They even think his lair could have collapsed on top of him.
But he was the only one discovered, which suggests that his mother and / or siblings were not in the same place at the same time.
Scientists have nevertheless qualified their findings: it will never be possible to know exactly how the canine died.
According to the information gathered, Zhùr was about seven weeks old at the time of his death.
The researchers were surprised to discover that it mainly fed on king salmon.
Scientists expect to find more and more mummies of this kind, especially because of global warming.
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