Researchers examine 'extremely uncommon' 35,000-year-old saber-toothed tiger cub's frozen remains.

In Siberia's permafrost, a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub was almost perfectly preserved.

In 2024, a study about the cub was published in Scientific Reports, based on the remains found in northeast Russia in 2020.

Though most frozen remains from the Late Pleistocene period have been discovered in Russia, in the Indigirka River basin, the discovery of such remains is considered "very rare," according to published research.

The mummy of a cub was preserved for thousands of years, remaining in excellent condition due to its frozen state, with fur still intact.

The mummy body is adorned with short, thick, soft, dark brown fur measuring approximately 20-30 mm in length, with the fur on the back and neck being longer than the hair on the legs, as stated in the research.

The mummy's head, chest, front arms, and paws were all preserved well.

The discovery presented a unique opportunity for scientists to conduct first-of-its-kind research.

An extinct mammal with no modern-day equivalents has been studied for the first time in paleontology, according to the study's authors.

The study's authors identified the cub as belonging to the species Homotherium latidens and found it had many differences from a modern lion cub of the same age.

The mummified cub's muzzle, characterized by a large mouth, small ears, a massive neck, long forelimbs, and a darker coat, distinguished it from modern lion cubs observed by scientists.

Researchers also investigated how extinct species endured freezing temperatures.

The large paws and absence of carpal pads were crucial to their survival in the snow, according to scientists.

Siberian permafrost has recently revealed other ancient animals.

In 2024, Live Science reported that a mummified wolf dating back over 44,000 years was discovered in 2021.