Ancient Siberian Bear Reveals an Unexpected Twist on Close Inspection : ScienceAlert

A bear, initially suspected to be approximately 30,000 years old, has been determined to be about 3,500 years old by Russian researchers. The bear was found in the permafrost of the Lyakhovsky Islands in 2020, prompting scientists to believe they had discovered a cave bear species that went extinct around 24,000 years ago. However, the new necropsy revealed that the recovered specimen was actually a brown bear, the same species that exists in the northeastern part of Russia today. The animal was about 2 to 3 years old when it died of a spinal injury, according to the experts from the North-Eastern Federal University in Russia.

The entire carcass of the ancient bear has been preserved and is a unique find for experts. Biologist Maxim Cheprasov of NEFU told Reuters that the carcass gives scientists “the opportunity to study the internal organs and examine the brain… For the first time, a carcass with soft tissues has fallen into the hands of scientists.” The bear’s preserved body has allowed researchers to see what it had eaten before its death, which included plants and birds.

The bear was found on the Lyakhovsky Islands, which are currently separated from the mainland of Russia by a 50-kilometer stretch of water. Scientists are unsure how the bear got to the island, as it may have swum across or walked over a temporary ice bridge. The preservation of the bear’s remains is an example of the unique and important insights into ancient ecology that can be gained from the permafrost of Siberia. The area has also attracted attention from paleontologists, although some point out that the melting permafrost could cause the release of long-dormant pathogens.

Scientists will conduct further tests on the remains of the ancient bear to gain more knowledge about the species and the time period in which it lived. The misunderstanding about the bear’s age highlights the importance of rigorous investigation into scientific specimens to ensure accurate information is shared with the public. Experts continue to study permafrost remains and the insights they can offer to better understand the world’s ecological history.



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