In a study published Wednesday in the journal
MDPI
, scientists revealed their analysis of two lion cubs, which were discovered mummified in the ice, northeast of Siberia, in 2017 and 2018. Thus, one of them , a female named Sparta, is 28,000 years old according to researchers, reports
BFMTV
.
“Sparta is probably the best-preserved ice age animal ever to be found and is more or less intact, apart from the somewhat ruffled fur.
She even kept the mustaches.
Her teeth are still there and her mummified organs, ”
Love Dalen, professor at the Paleogenetics Center in Stockholm (Sweden) and co-author of the study
, told
CNN
.
This CAVE LION cub is arguably the best preserved #iceage animal ever found!
It's name is Sparta.
In a paper published today with colleagues from 🇷🇺 🇯🇵 & 🇫🇷, we use DNA & 14C to show that it's a female cub that died c 28,000 years ago.
Read more here: https: //t.co/Vc2VI7VFfJ pic.twitter.com/NkXTFCvsyB
- Center for Palaeogenetics (@CpgSthlm) August 4, 2021
43,000-year-old male also discovered
The second lion cub is a male named Boris, found in the ice a few meters apart.
Researchers initially thought it was a brother and sister.
But they quickly discovered that Boris was much older, 43,000 years old.
The animal is "a little more damaged, but still quite good," the scientists wrote.
The two cubs are both said to have died at the age of one or two months.
According to the results of the scientific analysis, "there are no signs that a predator or a scavenger damaged the lions" before their death.
But thanks to further research, scientists discovered "damage to the skull, dislocation of the ribs and other distortions in their skeletons."
In addition, given their conservation, the lion cubs were probably buried very quickly.
“Maybe they died in a mudslide or fell into a crack in the permafrost,” Love Dalen added.
Researchers will now perform DNA analyzes on Sparta, to try to learn more about the evolution of the species.
Planet
The environmental impact of bottled water is estimated to be up to 3,500 times greater than tap water
World
Tanzania: Three children killed by lions while searching for lost livestock
Science
Researchers
Lion
Planet
Siberia