The woolly rhinoceros mummy, preserved for tens of thousands of years in frozen soil, offers valuable insights into this extinct species.
A well-preserved woolly rhinoceros was discovered near the Tirekhtyakh River in the Sakha Republic of Russia. This frozen mummy is dated to be 32,400 years old. Scientists led by Gennady Boeskorov at the Institute of Precious Metals and Diamonds, Russian Academy of Sciences, are analyzing the remains of the rhinoceros. The specimen, named Abyisk rhinoceros, provides the research team with unique insights into the past. Despite being over 32,000 years old, many parts such as soft tissue, skin, and fur remain intact in the cold permafrost. This remarkable state of preservation allows researchers to study the anatomical features of this ancient rhinoceros in unprecedented detail, as reported by Interesting Engineering on September 23.
Reconstruction of the ancient woolly rhinoceros. (Photo: Ozja).
The woolly rhinoceros was a large, hairy mammal with two horns, living in the Eurasian continent during the Late Pleistocene. Its scientific name is Coelodonta antiquitatis. The woolly rhinoceros coexisted with the woolly mammoth during the Ice Age and was the second-largest animal in the ecosystem, only after the woolly mammoth.
In a recently published study in the journal Doklady Earth Sciences, one of the most interesting findings is the young age of the rhinoceros. Its short, light-colored fur indicates it was still young at the time of death, only about 4.5 years old. “In this study, we describe the newly discovered frozen mummy of a young woolly rhinoceros (4 – 4.5 years), existing during the late Karginian period of the Late Pleistocene,” the research team stated.
The most remarkable finding is the fat deposit on the back of the rhinoceros. This unusual feature has never been recorded in woolly rhinoceroses before. The presence of a similar fat deposit in woolly mammoths suggests that this fat may serve similar purposes in both species, such as insulation or energy storage. According to the study, the analysis of the rhinoceros’s fur revealed traces of water lice, a tiny extinct parasite in the region.
The woolly rhinoceros was a herbivorous mammal that lived in the northern Eurasian continent, especially Siberia, for millions of years until its extinction about 10,000 years ago. They roamed frozen lands alongside woolly mammoths, wolves, and cave lions. Despite their abundance, the number of specimens found has been very low.
Only six intact specimens have been excavated in the Sakha Republic since the late 18th century. The most recent specimen was discovered in the Oymyakonsky District. With rising temperatures, ancient organisms are emerging as permafrost melts. However, once exposed to outdoor conditions, specimens will decompose rapidly.
