Frozen In Time: Newborn Saber-Toothed Cat Mummy Unearthed From Permafrost After 35,000 Years

A new research has unearthed a mummy of a newborn saber-toothed cat that had passed away 35,000 years ago. The specimen was discovered from permafrost found in Siberia, with its whiskers and claws still attached to the body and intact.

Species Identification and Historical Significance

The analysis of the preserved kitten found in Siberia’s permafrost shows that it was just 3 weeks old when it passed away in an area that currently corresponds to Russia’s northeastern Republic Yakutia. The researchers also found pelvic bones, a femur, and skin bones all in a block of ice together with the mummy of the kitten. The circumstances in which the creature died are still unknown.

Now, we must remember that it is very difficult to find remains of a sabre-toothed cat in such good and well-preserved conditions, and this particular kitten belongs to the species Homotherium latidens, as per a study that was published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday 14th November. Sabre-toothed cats of the same genus had roamed around the globe during the Pliocene epoch (5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago) and early Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago), and the evidence from analysis suggests that this genus had become more isolated during the period of the last ice age, which is the Pleistocene epoch.

“For a long time, the latest presence of Homotherium in Eurasia was recorded in the Middle Pleistocene [770,000 to 126,000 years ago],” researchers stated in the study. “The discovery of H. latidens mummy in Yakutia radically expands the understanding of the distribution of the genus and confirms its presence in the Late Pleistocene [126,000 to 11,700 years ago] of Asia.”

Adaptations to Ice Age Conditions

The study suggests that the small mummy of the kitten found in permafrost was well adapted to combat the conditions during the ice age. The researchers then drew a comparison between the modern-day, 3-week-old lion cub and found out that the sabre-toothed had wider paws and carpal pads were absent. These are pads that are found in the wrist and joints of the feline as they help them in absorbing shock damage caused by falls. These adaptations made it easier for the sabre-toothed to traverse in snow, while its thick fur was there to protect it from severe cold conditions during the ice age.

While comparing other anatomical features with the modern-day lion, the researchers found out that the sabre-toothed cat had a larger mouth, smaller ears, longer forelimbs, hair of much darker shade, and a neck that was much thicker. Researchers, from previous studies of adult Homotherium, knew that saber-toothed cats of this genus had shorter bodies and elongated limbs, and the new research casts light on the fact that these features were already present from 3 weeks since birth.

Preservation and Ongoing Research

Carbon dating has found out the age of the specimen; it has been buried in permafrost for at least 35,000 years, and it could possibly be 37,000 years as well. The carcass was found at the banks of the river Badhyarikha in Yakutia in 2020, and the study of this carcass has finally enabled the researchers for the first time to describe the characteristics of H. latidens, including fur texture, muzzle shape, and the distribution of muscle mass.

It is interesting to note that the permafrost had preserved the claws of the kitten, which were still very sharp, and its whiskers as well that were still attached. However, “the mummy eyelashes were not preserved,” the researchers noted.

The new analysis has determined the species to which the mummy belongs and highlighted its most notable features, though the authors are already preparing a follow-up paper. “The anatomical features of the find will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent paper,” they wrote.

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