Latest news with #North-EasternFederalUniversity
Khaleej Times
09-04-2025
- Science
- Khaleej Times
Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, goes under the scalpel
Making incisions and carefully taking samples, the scientists at a laboratory in Russia's far east looked like pathologists carrying out a post-mortem. But the body they were dissecting is a baby mammoth who died around 130,000 years ago. Discovered last year, the calf — nicknamed Yana, for the river basin where she was found — is in a remarkable state of preservation, giving scientists a glimpse into the past and, potentially, the future as climate change thaws the permafrost in which she was found. Yana's skin has kept its greyish-brown colour and clumps of reddish hairs. Her wrinkled trunk is curved and points to her mouth. The orbits of her eyes are perfectly recognisable and her sturdy legs resemble those of a modern-day elephant. This necropsy — an autopsy on an animal — "is an opportunity to look into the past of our planet", said Artemy Goncharov, head of the Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Microorganisms at the Institute of Experimental Medicine in Saint Petersburg. Scientists hope to find unique ancient bacteria and carry out genetic analysis of the plants and spores Yana ate to learn more about the place and time she lived. The calf largely avoided the ravages of time because she lay for thousands of years encased in permafrost in the Sakha region in Siberia. Measuring 1.2 metres (nearly four feet) at the shoulder and two metres long, and weighing 180 kilogrammes (nearly 400 pounds), Yana could be the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever found, retaining internal organs and soft tissues, the Russian scientists said. - Stomach, intestines - Dissecting her body is a treasure trove for the half dozen scientists that were carrying out the necropsy in late March at the Mammoth Museum at North-Eastern Federal University in the regional capital, Yakutsk. Wearing white sterile bodysuits, goggles and facemasks, the zoologists and biologists spent several hours working on the front quarters of the mammoth, a species that died out almost 4,000 years ago. "We can see that many organs and tissues are very well preserved," Goncharov said. "The digestive tract is partly preserved, the stomach is preserved. There are still fragments of the intestines, in particular the colon," enabling scientists to take samples, he said. They are "searching for ancient microorganisms" preserved inside the mammoth, so they can study their "evolutionary relationship with modern microorganisms", he said. While one scientist cut Yana's skin with scissors, another made an incision in the inner wall with a scalpel. They then placed tissue samples in test tubes and bags for analysis. Another table held the mammoth's hindquarters, which remained embedded in a cliff when the front quarters fell below. The scent emanating from the mammoth was reminiscent of a mixture of fermented earth and flesh, macerated in the Siberian subsoil. "We are trying to reach the genitals," said Artyom Nedoluzhko, director of the Paleogenomics Laboratory of the European University at Saint Petersburg. "Using special tools, we want to go into her vagina in order to gather material to understand what microbiota lived in her when she was alive." - 'Milk tusks' - Yana was first estimated to have died around 50,000 years ago, but is now dated at "more than 130,000 years" following analysis of the permafrost layer where she lay, said Maxim Cheprasov, director of the Mammoth Museum. As for her age at death, "it's already clear that she is over a year old because her milk tusks have already appeared," he added. Both elephants and mammoths have early milk tusks that later fall out. Scientists are yet to determine why Yana died so young. At the time when this herbivore mammal was chewing grass, "here on the territory of Yakutia there were not yet any humans", Cheprasov said, since they appeared in modern-day Siberia between 28,000 and 32,000 years ago. The secret to Yana's exceptional preservation lies in the permafrost: the soil in this region of Siberia that is frozen year-round and acts like a gigantic freezer, preserving the carcasses of prehistoric animals. The discovery of Yana's exposed body came about because of thawing permafrost, which scientists believe is due to global warming. The study of the microbiology of such ancient remains also explores the "biological risks" of global warming, Goncharov said. Some scientists are researching whether the melting permafrost could release potentially harmful pathogens, he explained. "There are some hypotheses or conjectures that in the permafrost there could be preserved pathogenic microorganisms, which when it thaws can get into the water, plants and the bodies of animals -- and humans," he said. gde/bur/am/cad/jhb/fg © Agence France-Presse
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Well-preserved' baby mammoth dating back to Ice Age dissected by scientists: photos
Warning: This article contains graphic pictures. Reader discretion is advised. Stunning pictures show a female baby mammoth, dating back over 130,000 years, recently being dissected by Russian scientists. The mammoth, which has been nicknamed "Yana," was dissected at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, Russia, on March 27. The baby mammoth had been preserved in permafrost until she was dug up in the cold Russian province of Yakutia last year. Pictures of the necropsy show a team of scientists huddled around the 397-pound animal, which closely resembles a modern baby elephant. The creature's mouth was open, and her trunk was curled as scientists opened up her skin. Scientists initially believed that Yana lived 50,000 years ago, but that estimate was updated to over 130,000 years after scientists analyzed the permafrost layer where she was found. Ancient Settlement Reveals Remains Of 1,800-Year-old Dog, Baffling Experts: 'Preserved Quite Well' Read On The Fox News App Maxim Cherpasov, head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory, told Reuters last year that the mammoth was just over a year old when she died. The corpse was already partially eaten by predators when she was discovered. "As a rule, the part that thaws out first, especially the trunk, is often eaten by modern predators or birds," Cherpasov told Reuters. Archaeologists Discover Long-lost Tomb Of Unknown Pharaoh In Egypt "Here, for example, even though the forelimbs have already been eaten, the head is remarkably well-preserved." Though the discovery of a well-preserved mammoth is exceedingly rare, it is not unheard of for other mammoth remains to be discovered. In June 2024, a fisherman found a mammoth bone on the banks of the Raba River in Książnice, near Gdów, Poland. In August of the same year, a fossil collector discovered a portion of a Columbian mammoth tusk in an embankment in Madison County, Mississippi. Reuters contributed to this article source: 'Well-preserved' baby mammoth dating back to Ice Age dissected by scientists: photos
Fox News
08-04-2025
- Science
- Fox News
'Well-preserved' baby mammoth dating back to Ice Age dissected by scientists: photos
Warning: This article contains graphic pictures. Reader discretion is advised. Stunning pictures show a female baby mammoth, dating back over 130,000 years, recently being dissected by Russian scientists. The mammoth, which has been nicknamed "Yana," was dissected at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, Russia, on March 27. The baby mammoth had been preserved in permafrost until she was dug up in the cold Russian province of Yakutia last year. Pictures of the necropsy show a team of scientists huddled around the 397-pound animal, which closely resembles a modern baby elephant. The creature's mouth was open and her trunk was curled as scientists opened up her skin. Scientists initially believed that Yana lived 50,000 years ago, but that estimate was updated to over 130,000 years after scientists analyzed the permafrost layer where she was found. Maxim Cherpasov, head of the Lazarev Mammoth Museum Laboratory, told Reuters last year that the mammoth was just over a year old when she died. The corpse was already partially eaten by predators when she was discovered. "As a rule, the part that thaws out first, especially the trunk, is often eaten by modern predators or birds," Cherpasov told Reuters. "Here, for example, even though the forelimbs have already been eaten, the head is remarkably well-preserved." Though the discovery of a well-preserved mammoth is exceedingly rare, it is not unheard of for other mammoth remains to be discovered. In June 2024, a fisherman found a mammoth bone on the banks of the Raba River in Książnice, near Gdów, Poland. In August of the same year, a fossil collector discovered a portion of a Columbian mammoth tusk in an embankment in Madison County, Mississippi.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stunning reconstruction reveals warrior and his weapons from 4,000-year-old burial in Siberia
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new reconstruction reveals the face, shield and weapons of a late Stone Age warrior, whose remains were found in a 4,000-year-old burial in Siberia. The warrior's burial was unearthed in 2004 during an archaeological survey of the Kerdugen area, about 87 miles (140 kilometers) east of the central Siberian city of Yakutsk in Russia's Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia. His remains were discovered relatively near the surface, along with several arrowheads — indicating he once had a bow, although this has since rotted away — and plates of animal bone that would have formed a large shield. Radiocarbon dating determined the grave was about 4,000 years old. Work on the reconstruction started in 2023, and the model recently went on display in the archaeology museum at the North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, according to a translated report by the government-owned TASS news agency. Related: 45 amazing facial reconstructions, from Stone Age shamans to King Tut An examination of the man's remains suggested he was about 5 feet 5 inches (165 centimeters) tall, and that he died between the ages of 40 and 50, making him elderly for a person in the late Stone Age. The shape of his skull suggested he had the same ethnicity as people native to Siberia's Arctic regions, and healed injuries on his bones suggested he had lived a very active and combative life — possibly the life of a warrior and archer. Image 1 of 2 The Kerdugen grave was of a man aged between 40 and 50 when he died about 4,000 years ago. He was buried with weapons, the shield, household goods and pottery. Image 2 of 2 Archaeologists found the grave in 2004 during a field survey of Yakutia's Kerdugen area, about 85 miles of the central Siberian city of Yakutsk. To create a reconstruction based on the man's skull, researchers used photogrammetry, which involves knitting together many digital images to make a virtual 3D model. They also used techniques for creating faces from skulls that were pioneered by the Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov. The researchers also reconstructed the large shield. It was originally made from plates of animal bone, probably from a type of elk called an Altai wapiti (Cervus canadensis sibiricus), that seem to have been glued onto a leather base. The archaeologists also found fragments from arrowheads stuck into six of the bone plates, which indicated the shield had protected its user in battle. Image 1 of 2 Healed injuries on the skeleton indicate the man had led an active life, possibly that of a warrior; fragments of arrowheads were found in the shield. Image 2 of 2 The facial reconstruction was made using precise digital photographs and techniques pioneered by the Soviet anthropologist Mikhail Gerasimov. The warrior was from Yakutia's prehistoric Ymyyakhtakh culture, which has left distinctive pottery and other artifacts throughout the region. RELATED STORIES —Weathered face of 'old man' Neanderthal comes to life in amazing new facial reconstruction —Stunning reconstruction reveals 'lonely boy' with deformed skull who died in cave in Norway 8,300 years ago —'Treated as something dangerous and vicious': See stunning reconstruction of 'vampire' buried with a blade over her neck The Ymyyakhtakh people were Neolithic — from the "New Stone Age" — which in some areas implies farmers; but in this case the Ymyyakhtakh were nomadic hunter-gatherers who used advanced tools, weapons and materials. TASS reported that the burial in the Kerdugen area had been unusually well-preserved. The warrior's grave also held fragments of bones from a second human body, which may be evidence that a human sacrifice took place during the ancient burial ceremony — possibly even accompanied by ritual cannibalism, signs of which have been reported at other ancient ritual sites in Siberia.
Al-Ahram Weekly
04-04-2025
- Science
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, goes under the scalpel - Health - Life & Style
Making incisions and carefully taking samples, the scientists at a laboratory in Russia's far east looked like pathologists carrying out a post-mortem. But the body they were dissecting is a baby mammoth who died around 130,000 years ago. Discovered last year, the calf -- nicknamed Yana, for the river basin where she was found -- is in a remarkable state of preservation, giving scientists a glimpse into the past and, potentially, the future as climate change thaws the permafrost in which she was found. Yana's skin has kept its greyish-brown colour and clumps of reddish hairs. Her wrinkled trunk is curved and points to her mouth. The orbits of her eyes are perfectly recognisable and her sturdy legs resemble those of a modern-day elephant. This necropsy -- an autopsy on an animal -- "is an opportunity to look into the past of our planet", said Artemy Goncharov, head of the Laboratory of Functional Genomics and Proteomics of Microorganisms at the Institute of Experimental Medicine in Saint Petersburg. Scientists hope to find unique ancient bacteria and carry out genetic analysis of the plants and spores Yana ate to learn more about the place and time she lived. The calf largely avoided the ravages of time because she lay for thousands of years encased in permafrost in the Sakha region in Siberia. Measuring 1.2 metres (nearly four feet) at the shoulder and two metres long, and weighing 180 kilogrammes (nearly 400 pounds), Yana could be the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever found, retaining internal organs and soft tissues, the Russian scientists said. - Stomach, intestines - Dissecting her body is a treasure trove for the half-dozen scientists that were carrying out the necropsy in late March at the Mammoth Museum at North-Eastern Federal University in the regional capital, Yakutsk. Wearing white sterile bodysuits, goggles and facemasks, the zoologists and biologists spent several hours working on the front quarters of the mammoth, a species that died out almost 4,000 years ago. "We can see that many organs and tissues are very well preserved," Goncharov said. "The digestive tract is partly preserved, the stomach is preserved. There are still fragments of the intestines, in particular the colon," enabling scientists to take samples, he said. They are "searching for ancient microorganisms" preserved inside the mammoth, so they can study their "evolutionary relationship with modern microorganisms," he said. While one scientist cut Yana's skin with scissors, another made an incision in the inner wall with a scalpel. They then placed tissue samples in test tubes and bags for analysis. Another table held the mammoth's hindquarters, which remained embedded in a cliff when the front quarters fell below. The scent emanating from the mammoth was reminiscent of a mixture of fermented earth and flesh, macerated in the Siberian subsoil. "We are trying to reach the genitals," said Artyom Nedoluzhko, director of the Paleogenomics Laboratory of the European University at Saint Petersburg. "Using special tools, we want to go into her vagina in order to gather material to understand what microbiota lived in her when she was alive." - 'Milk tusks' - Yana was first estimated to have died around 50,000 years ago, but is now dated at "more than 130,000 years" following analysis of the permafrost layer where she lay, said Maxim Cheprasov, director of the Mammoth Museum. As for her age at death, "it's already clear that she is over a year old because her milk tusks have already appeared," he added. Both elephants and mammoths have early milk tusks that later fall out. Scientists are yet to determine why Yana died so young. At the time when this herbivore mammal was chewing grass, "here on the territory of Yakutia there were not yet any humans", Cheprasov said, since they appeared in modern-day Siberia between 28,000 and 32,000 years ago. The secret to Yana's exceptional preservation lies in the permafrost: the soil in this region of Siberia that is frozen year-round and acts like a gigantic freezer, preserving the carcasses of prehistoric animals. The discovery of Yana's exposed body came about because of thawing permafrost, which scientists believe is due to global warming. The study of the microbiology of such ancient remains also explores the "biological risks" of global warming, Goncharov said. Some scientists are researching whether the melting permafrost could release potentially harmful pathogens, he explained. "There are some hypotheses or conjectures that in the permafrost there could be preserved pathogenic microorganisms, which when it thaws can get into the water, plants and the bodies of animals -- and humans," he said. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
