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

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

Our planet, with its rich history etched into layers of time, acts as a vast library of ancient tales, with each era preserving the stories of remarkable creatures.

Among these is a stunning new chapter – scientists have uncovered a mummified baby saber-toothed cat 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. The research also reveals secrets that have been frozen in time.

First recorded mummified saber-toothed cat

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

It allows us a sneak-peek into the past, and a glimpse of what saber-toothed cats 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.

Learning about an extinct species

The mummy is the first Asian record of the saber-toothed cat 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.

Decoding the saber-toothed cat mystery

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.

The saber-toothed cat 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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