Ice Age wolf pup mummy discovered in Yukon permafrost

The ancient wolf pup, perfectly preserved in permafrost, dates from the Ice Age. Its remains were discovered by a gold miner in 2016 near Dawson City in the Yukon.

It appears that the animal, a female, died suddenly when the den she was in collapsed.

They also constitute the oldest ever recorded wolf and may help to shed light on the evolution of the animal.

A professor of anatomy at Des Moines University in Iowa, Julie Meachen, called the creature: “the most complete wolf mummy that’s ever been found.” Ms Meachen added that the wolf was “basically 100 per cent intact” saying that the only thing missing are her eyes.

The exceptional remains will allow an insight into what life was like in Canada 2.6 million years ago.

See complete article, including a photo of the pup:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/wolf-mummy-ice-age-canada-permafrost-b1777181.html

Thanks to Dr Klaus Kaiser for this link

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December 23, 2020 at 11:11AM

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