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Still snarling after 40,000 years, a giant Pleistocene wolf discovered in Yakutia

By 0 and 0 and 0
07 June 2019

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The Pleistocene wolf’s head is 40cm long, so half of the whole body length of a modern wolf which varies from 66 to 86cm. Picture: Albert Protopopov

The severed head of the world’s first full-sized Pleistocene wolf was unearthed in the Abyisky district in the north of Yakutia. 

Local man Pavel Efimov found it in summer 2018 on shore of the Tirekhtyakh River, tributary of Indigirka.

The wolf, whose rich mammoth-like fur and impressive fangs are still intact, was fully grown and aged from two to four years old when it died. 

Pleistocene wolf

The wolf, whose rich mammoth-like fur and impressive fangs are still intact, was fully grown and aged from two to four years old when it died. Picture: Albert Protopopov

The head was dated older than 40,000 years by Japanese scientists.

Scientists at the Swedish Museum of Natural History will examine the Pleistocene predator’s DNA.

‘This is a unique discovery of the first ever remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved. We will be comparing it to modern-day wolves to understand how the species has evolved and to reconstruct its appearance,’ said an excited Albert Protopopov, from the Republic of Sakha Academy of Sciences. 

Map

Local man Pavel Efimov found it in summer 2018 on shore of the Tirekhtyakh River, tributary of Indigirka.

The Pleistocene wolf’s head is 40cm long, so half of the whole body length of a modern wolf which varies from 66 to 86cm. 

The astonishing discovery was announced in Tokyo, Japan, during the opening of a grandiose Woolly Mammoth exhibition organised by Yakutian and Japanese scientists. 

CT scan


CT scan


CT scan

CT scan of the wolf's head. Pictures: Albert Protopopov, Naoki Suzuki

Alongside the wolf the scientists presented an immaculately-well preserved cave lion cub. 

‘Their muscles, organs and brains are in good condition,’ said Naoki Suzuki, a professor of palaeontology and medicine with the Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, who studied the remains with a CT scanner. 

‘We want to assess their physical capabilities and ecology by comparing them with the lions and wolves of today.’

Pleistocene wolf


Pleistocene wolf

‘This is a unique discovery of the first ever remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved.' Pictures: Naoki Suzuki

The cave lion cub named Spartak - previously announced - is about 40cm long and weighed about 800 grams. 

Scientists believe the cub died shortly after birth. 

The recent discovery follows that of the remains of three cave lions in 2015 and 2017 by the same team.

The cave lion cub named Spartak - previously announced - is about 40cm long and weighed about 800 grams. Pictures: The Siberian Times, YSIA

Spartak


Spartak


Research


Frozen cave lion cub

Comments (150)

Next step: obtain DNA, and re-create using technology’s we’re not aware , a beautiful giant wolf to sell in the billionaires black market.Sounds too crazy? All you need is money to be part of Frankenstein’s elite.
Manu, Strasbourg
22/08/2021 17:21
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The ignorance of global warming / climate change deniers is astounding.
Vic Oilsteems , United States
03/11/2020 22:41
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@Matthew Lewis "why not" is never an answer because of opportunity costs. "why not" bullet proof your house and double its cost? Every move has a price, and the long term cost maybe worse than any effect you were trying to ameliorate. All the low hanging fruit is ineffective, long term research into next generation nuclear/fusion are the only path forward, but its clear all the politicians and green grifters are using a state of emergency excuse to fund their own corrupt projects. This maybe a bit clearer now since covid how states of emergency are exploited to enact tyrannical ends and how models are flawed and perfect plans have proven to be dubious and proposed plans weren't even believed by their own proponents. "flatten the curve", remember that fib that became hide for the vaccine....
Durjabi Honani, Fremont USA
08/09/2020 08:04
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@Fruitty yea no, the people who don't believe in evolution now are the left, evolution implies difference, diversity is inequality, this doesn't fit with leftist view of the world and so they have become implicit creationists.
Durjabi Honani, Fremont USA
08/09/2020 08:03
2
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Amazing!
Mark Kasmarek , USA
05/07/2020 17:18
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As a hunter, the first thing I saw in the picture of the "wolf" , was a " bear."
Unless it's been DNA tested for wolf! No where in the article did it mention
Any DNA testing.
KSGSherley, Farwell, TX USA
27/06/2020 01:31
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there is never going to be another domanate predater we are all ways going to be at the top somehow nothing else
KEVIN, danbury WI/USA
15/04/2020 18:46
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That cub didn't live long but it lived on for millennia.
j, denmark
29/10/2019 01:26
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Global Warming,or is it green house effect? or ozone layer break, or climate change? or the new one, Climate extreme? pick one and eat the pound cake as you give your taxes to operation depopulation.. even a monkey can see that we are entering in an ice age.. just look at those missing reports from before 1999 and that man exposing the un climate panel.. but hey keep eating the cake(vegetarian of course because they need you to be a non thinking person with cholesterol deficiency) and don't believe in a single word i tipped here.. do your own independent research..
Sergio, Portugal
21/08/2019 22:16
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Incredible. Thank you for sharing. Fascinating!!
Jill, Bulgaria
20/08/2019 02:09
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ora pensiamo a clonarli
pittaro andrea, italia
27/07/2019 21:08
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Matthew Lewis, CO2 is not a pollutant, it is probably the most important chemical element for all life on this planet. Now, pollution is entirely another matter and on that almost everyone agrees. Educate yourselves on the basics sheeple before you attempt to tackle the larger issues.
Robert, Smart People Town
19/06/2019 21:55
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I will add my two euro cents. Lets assume Global Warming is made up by fake news propaganda... My question is why deal this card? What harm will come from humanity trying to clean up our footprint on this planet? Big business has enough money. Putting a filter on pollution isn't going to stop that flow of monies. It might slow it down but the guilty parties are still going to continue to get paid either way. Why not recycle? What harm comes from recycling other than slowing production and profit? This isn't a separate country situation people. Its a global problem regardless of who is to blame and what are the causes. We as a species pollute. It is a fact. We produce waste. I am not concerned with what theories are out there or who says what about anything at this point. My question is what is the harm in fixing or at the very least making better what we know we all do?
Matthew Lewis, Clearwater Florida USA
17/06/2019 19:55
43
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Just wowing after thinking about the world that was there 40,000 years back.
Sanskae, india
17/06/2019 19:18
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Una scoperta bellissima, grazie hai ricercatori che con il loro lavoro ci tengono informati del loro lavoro.
Giuseppe Arangio, Enna
14/06/2019 17:38
3
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