Yakutsk find baffles archaeologists

Remains of an ancient mammal, supposedly of a newborn mammoth, have been unearthed in the Oimyakonsky region of Yakutia during planned excavations at one of the local gold mines.

According to the Mammoth Institute of Yakutia, the remains have been discovered at one of the gold mines “Volnik-terrace” situated within 2 km from the Oktybrskaya village of the Oimyakonsky region.

The skeleton was discovered by pure accident in the course of seasonal excavation works in the region. It has been successfully extracted from the ever-frozen soil by the “Kamazu” bulldozer. The upper part of the animal's head has been fractured, that is why it was quite difficult to tell from the start whether it's a rhinoceros or a mammoth.

The find appears quite odd however. For instance, neither the animal's head nor its body has fur. The bulldozer operator claims he smelled something burning while excavating the skeleton. However, no traces of burnt fur or bones have been found. And one more detail: according to the same man, when placed under the direct rays of the sun, the remains began bleeding, reports YACIA.

In the meantime, scientists are still trying to determine the animal's type. Yakutia's Mammoth Museum does not rule out the possibility that the skeleton is in fact of a newborn mammoth. In case the presumption proves to be true, perhaps its mother is buried somewhere next to him in the permafrost.