A 57,000-year-old wolf cub, perfectly preserved in permafrost, reveals its secrets after it was discovered almost four years ago.
The gray wolf, known as Zhùr by locals, was discovered in the Yukon, Canada, near the city of Dawson, according to a study published in Current Biology. The study’s main author, Julie Meachen, said the 7-week-old baby was believed to be in her lair when she died.
“We think he was in her lair and died instantly from the collapse of the beam,” Meachen said. “Our data showed that she did not starve and was about 7 weeks old when she died, so we feel a little better knowing that the poor girl did not suffer too long.”
This mummified wolf cub dating back 57,000 years was unearthed – completely frozen in time. (Credit: SWNS)
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The researchers examined the baby wolf by several different methods, including radiocarbon dating, DNA sampling, and oxygen isotope analysis to confirm when the mammal died. The researchers also took X-rays of their teeth and bones to confirm their age.
Meachen added that the wolf cub is “the most complete wolf mummy ever found,” noting that the only thing missing is her eyes.
The head, tail, paws, fur and skin of the ice age creature were perfectly preserved in permafrost. (Credit: SWNS)
“And the fact that it is so complete allowed us to do so many lines of investigation on it to practically rebuild its life,” Meachen explained.
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The researchers were also able to analyze the diet of the chicks, which was influenced by where they lived.
“Normally, when you think of wolves in the ice age, you think of them eating bison or musk oxen or other large animals on land,” Meachen explained. “One thing that surprised us was that it eats aquatic resources, especially salmon.”
(Credit: Des Moines University)
Frozen wolf cub is of added importance, as it was discovered in North America and not in Russia or Siberia, where others were found, including one discovered in June 2019.
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“We were asked why he was the only wolf found in the lair and what happened to his mother or siblings,” Meachen continued. “It could have been a single cub. Or the other wolves weren’t in the pit during the crash. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.”