Ancient wolf remains — dating back 44,000 years — examined in Russia, photos show

In 2021, residents of Russia stumbled upon something remarkable: the intact remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf.

The carcass — which long predates all of recorded human history — was found buried about 130 feet below the Siberian permafrost near the Tirekhtyakh River.

Now, scientists have performed an autopsy on the ancient apex predator in the hopes of shedding light on its life.

The examination was carried out by faculty at North-Eastern Federal University, according to a June 19 news release.

Photos released by the Russian university show a team of scientists cutting open the animal, which, despite the passage of time, is well-preserved. Its body is covered in matted fur, and its snout appears frozen in a fang-baring snarl.

Based on the wear and tear on its teeth, the scientists determined the animal to be an adult male, though its exact age is unclear.

The animal’s stomach is also preserved and uncontaminated, leading scientists to believe they may be able to glean information about its diet.

Given that ancient wolves may have eaten humans, scientists said it’s possible the stomach contains traces of DNA from our ancestors, according to a news release from the European University at St. Petersburg.

“The potential discovery of human DNA in the gastrointestinal tract of a wolf would rewrite the history of human settlement across Eurasia and their expansion into North America,” Artem Nedoluzhko, who took part in the autopsy, said in the release.

Samples of internal organs and soft tissue were also taken in order to study the wolf’s genome and to search for ancient viruses and bacteria — which can survive for millennia.

While these pathogens can be dangerous, they could also be of value in biotechnology and medicine, university officials said.

The wolf’s carcass is one of many ancient remains to be found in the Siberian permafrost — an expanse of perennially frozen ground — in recent years.

In 2019, the severed head of another wolf was unearthed from Siberia, according to The Washington Post. The animal is believed to have been between 2 and 4 years old when it died some 30,000 years ago.

And in July, a group of roundworms, dating back 46,000 years, were discovered in Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle, according to previous reporting from McClatchy News. Remarkably, the small creatures were still alive when they were found.

Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the North-Eastern Federal University.

This story was originally published June 28, 2024 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Ancient wolf remains — dating back 44,000 years — examined in Russia, photos show."