44,000 years ago, the territory of modern Yakutia was a harsh and cold region inhabited by a variety of animal species, including wolves. These ancient predators, also known as Pleistocene wolves, were adapted to life during the Ice Age and were quite different from their contemporaries. As residents of the region found out, they didn’t have to look far for evidence – the mummy of a Pleistocene wolf was discovered in 2021 on the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi region. The fossilized remains had lain in the frozen ground for at least 44,000 years and, not surprisingly, were perfectly preserved. The find was sent to the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and later scientists from the North-Eastern Federal University, for the first time in history, performed an autopsy of the carcass of this ancient predator and even found out what it ate.
In Yakutia, they are studying the remains of an ancient wolf that lay in the ground for 44 thousand years. Image: www.miamiherald.com
Late Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic(40-12 thousand years ago) – the most severe phase of the last Würm glaciation, when modern people settled throughout the Earth .
The most ancient wolf of Yakutia
The fauna of Yakutia 44,000 years ago was rich and diverse, including large herbivores and predators. These animals were adapted to the harsh conditions of the mammoth steppe, allowing them to thrive in the cold climate. Modern research and the discovery of frozen remains of animals such as cave lions and woolly mammoths continue to provide scientists with new knowledge about the life and survival of these ancient creatures in the Ice Age.
The latest discovery created a real sensation – in 2021, in the thickness of permafrost at a depth of about 40 meters on the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyisky district, local residents discovered a wolf mummy. The intact remains of the animal, estimated to be 44 thousand years old, were transferred to the Academy of Sciences of the Sakha Republic for scientific research.
In the permafrost, local residents discovered the remains of an ancient wolf. Image: www.businessinsider.in
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Now, specialists from the North-Eastern Federal University have performed an autopsy on the ancient predator in the hope of shedding light on light on his life. Published photographs show a team of scientists cutting apart the well-preserved remains, covered in matted fur. Having carefully examined the animal's teeth, scientists determined that in front of them was anadult male, although its exact age is unclear.
For the first time in the world, scientists have come across a frozen mummy of such an adult and large predator as awolf with an absolutely intact gastrointestinal tract . Wolf cubs have already been caught several times in the form of frozen mummies, but this is the first time for an adult wolf. We were able to take DNA samples from the stomach and intestines of the predator. Thanks to this, we will be able to find out what he ate,” said Albert Protopopov, head of the department for the study of mammoth fauna of the Academy of Sciences of Yakutia.
During the autopsy, scientists looked for signs of ancient viruses and bacteria. Image: North-Eastern Federal University
It should be noted that the project is being implemented within the framework of a program of comprehensive scientific research in Yakutia under the leadership of the Academy of Sciences with the participation of the North-Eastern Federal University, the European University in St. Petersburg, the Institute of Experimental Medicine, the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
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What did ancient wolves eat?
Since the entire gastrointestinal tract of the wolf turned out to be completely intact and uncontaminated, scientists were able to collect information about its diet. Given that ancient wolves may have eaten humans, their stomachs may contain traces of our ancestors' DNA. “The potential discovery of human DNA in the gastrointestinal tract of a wolf would rewrite the history of human settlement throughout Eurasia and their expansion into North America,” says Artem Nedoluzhko, who took part in the autopsy.
Samples of internal organs and soft tissues were also taken to study the genome of the wolf andsearching for ancient viruses and bacteriathat can survive for thousands of years. While these pathogens can be dangerous, they can also be valuable in biotechnology and medicine. The procedure took place under sterile conditions. The researchers also sampled the microbiota and samples of the find itself to compare how close it is genome-wise to a modern wolf.
During the autopsy, scientists looked for signs of the presence of ancient viruses and bacteria. Image: North-Eastern Federal University
The wolf's stomach has been preserved in an isolated form, there is no contamination, so the task is not trivial. As a result of the preparation, we hope to obtain an instant section of the biota of the ancient Pleistocene. It was an active and large predator, we have the opportunity to find out what it ate. In addition, the objects that its victims ate also ended up in its stomach, the scientists explain.
As stated in the official press release of NEFU, after a comprehensive study of the find, scientists will begin to study the remains of another wolf, discovered in the Nizhnekolymsk region of Yakutia and brought in 2023. The main goal of the autopsy is to understand what the ancient predator ate and how it related to other wolves that inhabited the northeastern part of Eurasia, in particular Yakutia.
Autopsy(autopsy or postmortem examination) is a medical procedure performed to determine the cause of death and involves a thorough examination of the body, its organs and tissues to identify any diseases, injuries or other pathological conditions.
The late Pleistocene predator is one of many ancient remains found in Siberian permafrost in recent years. In 2019, the severed head of another wolf was discovered in Siberia. The animal is believed to have been between 2 and 4 years old and died about 30,000 years ago. In July, a group of 46,000-year-old roundworms were found in Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle. Remarkably, these little creatures were still alive when they were found.
What other animals lived in Yakutia 44,000 years ago?
44,000 years ago, the territory of modern Yakutia was part of the so-called mammoth steppe, a vast, cold plain that stretched across much of northern Eurasia. This ecosystem supported a variety of megafauna and was rich in grasses and low-growing plants, which provided food for the large herbivores that wolves preyed on.
In those years, they were large animals with powerful jaws and large teeth, which allowed them to hunt large prey such as mammoths and bison. Their skulls were wider and shorter than modern wolves, and they hunted in packs that could number several dozen individuals. Research into the remains and DNA of ancient wolves is giving scientists new insights into how these amazing animals lived and interacted with other species, including early humans.
The life of ancient wolves in Yakutia 44,000 years ago was closely related to harsh climatic conditions and an abundance of large prey. These wolves played an important role in the ecosystem of that time. Image: www.worldatlas.com
In addition to the wolves that inhabit this harsh region, 44,000 years ago, woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) lived in Yakutia – one of the most famous inhabitants of the mammoth steppe . They were covered with thick fur and had long, curved tusks that helped them break through the snow in search of food. Mammoths ate grasses, shrubs and other plants that grew in cold climates.
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Large predators of that time also included cave lions (Panthera spelaea), which were similar to modern lions, but were distinguished by a more massive build and the absence of a mane in males. These ancient animals hunted large herbivores such as mammoths and bison.
Skeleton of the cave lion Panthera spelaea. Image: upload.wikimedia.org
When talking about the inhabitants of the mammoth steppe, one cannot fail to mention woolly rhinoceroses (Coelodonta antiquitatis) with thick hair and horns on their heads and the ancestors of modern horses – the Lena horse (Equus lenensis), which were beautiful adapted to harsh conditions and survived on the sparse vegetation of the mammoth steppe. Recent discoveries of well-preserved remains of horses allow scientists to study their anatomy and way of life.
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Broad-horned deer (Megaloceros giganteus) and saigas (Saiga tatarica) were also important inhabitants of this ecosystem. They grazed in open steppe spaces, feeding on grasses and shrubs. Their large horns and adaptations to cold climates made them prominent figures in ancient Yakutia.