Well Preserved Mammoth Found in Siberia was Killed By Humans

A juvenile mammoth was recently discovered in the ice near the arctic circle in Siberia. Scientists named the mammoth “Yuka” and have said the way the animal was found indicates it was killed by humans more than 10,000 years ago.

Yuka’s carcass was wonderfully preserved. Scientists could still see full parts of the animal’s flesh and the strawberry blonde hair coating the outside.

Daniel Fisher, curator and director of the University of Michigan’s Museum of Paleontology, told Discovery News,

“This is the first relatively complete mammoth carcass — that is, a body with soft tissues preserved — to show evidence of human association,”

Although carbon dating is still in the works, the researchers believe Yuka died at least 10,000 years ago, but may be much older. The animal was about 2 ½ years old when it died.

Fisher talked about what he thought happened to the mammoth on the day it died,

“It appears that Yuka was pursued by one or more lions or another large field, judging from deep, unhealed scratches in the hide and bite marks on the tail. Yuka then apparently fell, breaking one of the lower hind legs. At this point, humans may have moved in to control the carcass, butchering much of the animal and removing parts that they would use immediately. They may, in fact, have reburied the rest of the carcass to keep it in reserve for possible later use. What remains now would then be ‘leftovers’ that were never retrieved.”

He explained how the humans removed the parts of the animals that are generally eaten or used for fuel oil.