Mummified baby saber-toothed tiger found with fur and toes intact

The saber-toothed tiger, an iconic predator from the Ice Age, continues to captivate scientists and enthusiasts alike with its mysterious legacy.

Now, scientists have discovered a mummified baby saber-toothed tiger, a cub, in Siberia.

The discovery, which boasts an extraordinary level of preservation, offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the anatomy and lifestyle of this long-extinct predator.

What are saber-toothed tigers?

Saber-toothed tigers, also called saber-toothed cats, were some of the most impressive predators to roam the Earth during the last Ice Age, even though they are not related to today’s tigers.

They sported incredibly long, curved canine teeth that could reach up to seven inches, perfect for delivering powerful, precise bites to their prey.

These big cats had strong, muscular bodies and relatively short legs, making them agile hunters capable of taking down large animals like mammoths and bison.

Their unique features and hunting strategies made them top predators in their ecosystems. Despite their fearsome reputation, saber-toothed tigers went extinct around 10,000 years ago.

Researchers believe a combination of climate change, habitat loss, and the decline of their primary prey contributed to their disappearance.

Mummified saber-toothed tiger cub

The Siberian Ice Age cub is the first recorded mummified saber-toothed tiger — a discovery that is setting off waves of excitement among paleontologists worldwide.

It allows us a sneak-peek into the past, and a fascinating and rare opportunity to see exactly what an ancient predator looked like.

The mummy offers precious insights into the cat’s muscle structure and how it might have impacted its hunting methods.

The mummy’s face, forelimbs, torso, and part of its body were remarkably intact and generously covered with thick, soft fur that was between 0.8 and 1.2 inches (20 to 30 millimeters) in length.

Alexey V. Lopatin is a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, director of the academy’s Borissiak Paleontological Institute, and the lead author of the study.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to see with your own eyes the life appearance of a long-extinct animal. Especially when it comes to such an interesting predator as the sabre-toothed cat,” said Lopatin.

Why does this matter?

The mummy is the first Asian record of the saber-toothed tiger species Homotherium latidens.

Other Ice Age mummies, like woolly rhinos and mammoths, have been found fairly commonly in the Siberian region. However, mummified cats are an extraordinary rarity.

“Before this discovery, there were just two known cat mummies, both cubs of the cave lion Panthera spelaea from Yakutia’s Uyandina River basin. Now, we have added the Homotherium cub to this list”, explained Lopatin.

The next steps in learning about this extinct species involved the analysis of extracted DNA, and detailed examination of the cub’s skeleton, muscles, and hair.

Paleontologist Jack Tseng, an associate professor in the Integrative Biology Department at the University of California, Berkeley, who was not involved in the discovery, expressed his astonishment at the find.

“It’s rare to find bones of this lineage in the first place, let alone soft tissue associated with it,” said Tseng.

Speaking to CNN, Tseng shared that he was at a loss for words when considering “the treasure trove of information that could come out of this singular discovery.”

“I don’t know if other paleontologists’ minds are as blown as mine, but it’s like reality changes now that we’ve seen this.”

Clues from the past

Preserved in permafrost, the cub was discovered near the Badyarikha River in northeast Yakutia by local diggers in 2020.

Radiocarbon dating estimates the cub to be at least 35,000 years old, making its lifetime coincide with the latter part of the Pleistocene epoch (roughly 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago).

The preservation of the cub’s forelimbs was exceptional, with claws and the fleshy pads or “beans” (as modern cat admirers like to call them) still intact.

The cubs of this ancient and long-extinct species varied significantly from modern lion cubs.

The saber-toothed cub seemed to have longer forelimbs, a bigger mouth opening, a more solid neck, darker coat, and smaller ears.

Saber-toothed tiger fascination

The cub’s forearms and paw resembled a bear’s, which are known for their strength in collecting food.

This similarity suggests that adult Homotherium may have depended on their forearms, possibly using them to stabilize their prey.

Until now, 3D digital modeling of scanned fossils was used to hypothesize saber-toothed cat anatomy. However, nothing compares to witnessing these limbs “in the flesh.”

This find is not just about the Homotherium mummy; it offers a unique insight into the entire evolutionary history of the feline group.

This saber-toothed tiger cub mummy is an invaluable find, adding another vivid glimpse into our planet’s fascinating history.

The research paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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