October 02, 2020
The cave bear, Ursus spelaeus, was a species of megafauna that roamed Asia and Europe until they became extinct 15,000 years ago. Until now we have only known adults of this species from bones, but a recent discovery in the Arctic has changed all this.
Reindeer herders on the island of Bolshoy Lyakhovsky discovered the preserved and complete remains of a grown cave bear, including internal organs and other soft tissue. This is a world first and of great interest to the international scientific community.
Preliminary findings suggest this bear perished at least 22,000 years ago, although radiocarbon dating will be able to determine a more precise age of the specimen. Researchers from North-Eastern Federal University’s Institute of Applied Ecology of the North will also examine the preserved soft tissue with a view to extract DNA to gain a better understanding of this remarkable creature that once shared the earth with other iconic Ice Age species such as the wooly mammoth.
Learn more here: http://ow.ly/fPXL50BG1Dx
