Amazingly-preserved ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact after 44,000 years is pulled out of Siberian permafrost

  • Wolf found in Yakutia, eastern Russia, has preserved fur, bone and even organs
  • READ MORE: Man discovers prehistoric monster off the coast of Florida

By Jonathan Chadwick For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A ferocious-looking ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact has been uncovered from Siberian permafrost after 44,000 years. 

Experts say the adult male wolf found in Yakutia, eastern Russia, has amazingly-preserved fur, bone and even organs, as well as teeth and bone. 

It's been transferred to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of the Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk, where it's been undergoing an autopsy. 

Permafrost is ground that remains permanently frozen even during summer months – and can stay frozen for thousands of years. 

Ancient remains found in permafrost are among the most complete ever found because the ice stops organic matter from decomposing. 

An amazingly-preserved ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact has been uncovered from Siberian permafrost after 44,000 years

An amazingly-preserved ancient wolf with its fearsome teeth intact has been uncovered from Siberian permafrost after 44,000 years

An autopsy has been conducted on an ancient wolf which has been preserved by the permafrost - the 'permanently' frozen earth in cold regions

An autopsy has been conducted on an ancient wolf which has been preserved by the permafrost - the 'permanently' frozen earth in cold regions 

The wolf was discovered by locals in 2021 in the permafrost at a depth of about 130 ft by the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi district of Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region.

Experts say it is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy – and even its stomach has survived. 

'Its stomach has remained isolated, without contamination,' said Dr Albert Protopopov, head of the Mammoth Fauna Study Department of the Yakutia Academy of Sciences. 

'As a result of the dissection, we hope to get an instantaneous cross-section of the biota of the ancient Pleistocene period.

'It was an active and large predator, and we have the opportunity to find out what it ate.

'Additionally, its stomach contains the remains of what its prey consumed.'

The incredible find was discovered by locals in 2021 and confirmed by the experts as a male adult wolf

The incredible find was discovered by locals in 2021 and confirmed by the experts as a male adult wolf 

It was transferred to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of the Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk, where it's been undergoing an autopsy

It was transferred to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of the Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk, where it's been undergoing an autopsy

The wolf was found in the permafrost at a depth of about 130 ft by the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi district of Yakutia, Russia¿s coldest region

The wolf was found in the permafrost at a depth of about 130 ft by the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi district of Yakutia, Russia’s coldest region

Dr Maxim Cheprasov, head of the Mammoth Museum Laboratory, said: 'We extracted a premolar – a tooth – to determine the biological age of the find.

'However, based on the wear of the teeth and the development of the sagittal crest, we can already say that this is an adult male.' 

Professor Artemy Goncharov, head of the Functional Genomics and Proteomics Laboratory at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, said such investigations could lead to modern-day benefits.

'We see that live bacteria can survive in the finds of fossil animals for millennia, serving as witnesses to those ancient times,' he said.

Experts say it is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy - and even its stomach has survived

Experts say it is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy - and even its stomach has survived

Permafrost is ground that remains permanently frozen even during summer months - and can stay frozen for thousands of years

Permafrost is ground that remains permanently frozen even during summer months - and can stay frozen for thousands of years

'We hope for good results that will allow us to further understand what ancient microbial communities were like, what function they performed, and how dangerous pathogenic bacteria were represented in their structure.

'It is possible that microorganisms will be found that can be applied in medicine and biotechnology as promising producers of biologically active substances.

'Therefore, this research has a special influence on the future.'

WHAT IS PERMAFROST AND WHAT HAPPENS IF IT MELTS?

Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer below the Earth's surface found in Arctic regions such as Alaska, Siberia and Canada.

It typically consists of soil, gravel and sand bound together by ice, and is classified as ground that has remained below 0°C (32°F) for at least two years.

It is estimated 1,500 billion tons of carbon is stored in the world's permafrost - more than twice the amount found in the atmosphere.

The carbon comes in the form of ancient vegetation and soil that has remained frozen for millennia.

If global warming were to melt the world's permafrost, it could release thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. 

Because some permafrost regions have stayed frozen for thousands of years, it is of particular interest for scientists.

Ancient remains found in permafrost are among the most complete ever found because the ice stops organic matter from decomposing.

A number of 2,500-year-old bodies buried in Siberia by a group of nomads known as the Scythians have been found with their tattooed skin still intact.

A baby mammoth corpse uncovered on Russia's Arctic coast in 2010 still sported clumps of its hair despite being more than 39,000 years old.

Permafrost is also used in the study of Earth's geological history as soil and minerals buried deep in Arctic regions for thousands of years can be dug up and studied today.

Russia