In a laboratory located in Russia’s far eastern region, scientists appeared much like pathologists performing an autopsy as they made incisions and collected samples.
However, the subject of their study was a baby mammoth that passed away approximately 130,000 years ago.
Unearthed last year, the calf—nicknamed Yana after the river basin where it was discovered—boasts incredible preservation. This finding offers researchers a window into the past and, potentially, insights into the future, particularly as climate change causes permafrost to thaw in the area where Yana was found.
Yana’s skin retains its grayish-brown hue, and clumps of reddish fur are still visible. The trunk, with its wrinkled texture, is bent and directed toward her mouth. The contours of her eyes are remarkably preserved, and her strong legs bear resemblance to those of today’s elephants.
The necropsy, an autopsy conducted on an animal, presents “an opportunity to delve into Earth’s history,” stated Artemy Goncharov, who leads the Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Microorganisms at Saint Petersburg’s Institute of Experimental Medicine.
Researchers aim to discover unique ancient bacteria and analyze the genetic material of the plants and spores in Yana’s diet to gain a deeper understanding of her environment and time period.
Thanks to the thousands of years she spent preserved in permafrost within the Sakha region of Siberia, Yana largely escaped the effects of time.
At 1.2 meters (almost four feet) tall at the shoulder and measuring two meters in length, weighing around 180 kilograms (nearly 400 pounds), Yana may represent the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever uncovered, retaining internal organs and soft tissues, according to Russian scientists.
Digestive Health
The dissection process provided a bonanza of information for the small team of scientists conducting the necropsy in late March at the Mammoth Museum associated with North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, the regional capital.
Dressed in white sterile bodysuits, goggles, and masks, the zoologists and biologists dedicated several hours to examining the front section of the mammoth, a species that went extinct nearly 4,000 years ago.
“Many organs and tissues are exceptionally well-preserved,” Goncharov remarked.
“The digestive system is partially intact; the stomach is present, and there are still remnants of the intestines, particularly the colon,” allowing scientists to take samples.
They are actively “searching for ancient microorganisms” contained within the mammoth to better understand their “evolutionary connections with existing microorganisms,” he explained.
While one scientist carefully snipped Yana’s skin with scissors, another utilized a scalpel to make an incision in the inner surface. Tissue samples were then placed in tubes and bags for subsequent analysis.
On another table lay the back half of the mammoth, which remained locked in a cliff when the front portion fell away.
The aroma of the mammoth resembled a mix of fermented soil and decomposed flesh from the Siberian subsoil.
“We’re trying to access the reproductive organs,” said Artyom Nedoluzhko, head of the Paleogenomics Laboratory at the European University of Saint Petersburg.
He noted the objective is “to collect material that will help us understand the microbiota that existed in her during life.”
Milk Teeth
Initially thought to have died about 50,000 years ago, Yana is now estimated to be “over 130,000 years old” based on analyses of the permafrost layer in which she was located, according to Maxim Cheprasov, director of the Mammoth Museum.
Regarding her age upon death, “it’s evident that she was over a year old because her milk tusks had already emerged,” he added.
Both mammoths and elephants develop early milk tusks that eventually fall out.
The cause of Yana’s early death remains undetermined by scientists.
While this herbivorous mammal was grazing on grass, “humans had not yet appeared in the Yakutia area,” Cheprasov explained, as their arrival in modern-day Siberia occurred between 28,000 and 32,000 years ago.
The key to Yana’s extraordinary preservation lies in the permafrost—frozen soil that remains untouched year-round, effectively acting as a vast freezer that keeps prehistoric animals’ remains intact.
The discovery of Yana’s exposed remains was a consequence of thawing permafrost, an occurrence scientists attribute to global warming.
Research into the microbiology of these ancient remains also explores the “biological risks” associated with climate change, according to Goncharov.
Some scientists are investigating whether the melting permafrost might release potentially dangerous pathogens, he stated.
“There are theories suggesting that pathogenic microorganisms could be preserved in the permafrost, which might enter water, plants, and the bodies of animals—or humans—upon thawing,” he cautioned.
