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Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Mummified 14,000-year-old puppies with their FUR still intact and food still in their stomachs are found frozen in ice
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCIENTISTS have discovered two 14,000-year-old mummified "puppies" with their fur still intact and food still in their stomachs. Hidden beneath deep layers of permafrost in Northern Siberia, the ice age creatures were initially thought to be domesticated dogs. 3 The two well-preserved cub found in Siberia Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 3 The well-preserved cubs — which turned out to be sisters — were later found to be were actually wolf cubs Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 The well-preserved cubs — which turned out to be sisters — were later found to be were actually wolf cubs. The 'Tumat Puppies,' as they are known, contain hints of a last meal in their stomachs, including meat from a woolly rhinoceros and feathers from a small bird called a wagtail. The mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 alongside woolly mammoth bones that were seemingly cut and burned by humans. This suggests the wolf cubs might have been domesticated by humans who ate the meat before giving away the leftovers. However, there was no indication that the pups got their food directly from humans or even from rummaging through humans' mammoth butchering sites, researchers said. Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the UK, analysed genetic data from the gut contents as well as chemical signatures in the bones, teeth and soft tissue. Experts now believe that the animals were two-month-old wolf pups, believed to be sisters, with no evidence of interacting with people. The sisters 'inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans,' they wrote, but 'this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities.' How the wolf cubs died also remains a mystery. "Neither showed signs of being attacked or injured either, which suggests that they died suddenly when the underground den collapsed, perhaps triggered by a landslide, and trapped them inside", the study said. Ms Runge said: "It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal that they ate. 'Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves." Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said: "Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate. 'There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost.' The DNA testing showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct population of wolves unrelated to today's dogs. Dogs and wolves are belived to be closely related. However, they diverged genetically somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, according to Live Science, What is the Siberian permafrost? Siberian permafrost is a vast expanse of permanently frozen ground that covers approximately 80 per cent of Siberia, a region in the north-eastern part of Asia. This frozen layer, composed of soil, rock, gravel, and sand bound together by ice, remains at or below 0°C (32°F) for at least two consecutive years. Its thickness varies significantly, from less than a meter to over 1,500 meters in some parts of northern Siberia, such as the Lena and Yana River basins. The extent of permafrost is categorised into continuous, where 90-100% of the land is frozen, discontinuous (50-90%), and sporadic (10-50%). This frozen ground has historically provided a stable foundation for infrastructure, including large cities and industrial complexes. 3 Study co-author Nathan Wales Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 It comes after another mummified wolf pup dating back 57,000 years was unearthed in Canada - with its fur and teeth still intact. The Ice Age creature's head, tail, paws, fur and skin were perfectly preserved in the Arctic permafrost after it died aged just seven weeks. Its remains dug up by a gold miner near Dawson City in the Yukon also included exceptional details of the muscle tissues. The animal, a female, is thought to have died suddenly after its den collapsed. The remarkable find opens a window to life in ancient Canada's far north when woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. It also sheds light on the seven week old's lifestyle – and the evolution of modern wolves. The animal is the oldest ancient wolf on record. Lead author Professor Julie Meachen, of Des Moines University, Iowa, said: "She's the most complete wolf mummy that's ever been found. "She's basically 100 per cent intact – all that's missing are her eyes. "And the fact she's so complete allowed us to do so many lines of inquiry on her to basically reconstruct her life." The animal has been named Zhur – meaning "wolf" in the local indigenous Han language. By studying hair and tooth chemicals, the researchers found the pup's mother mainly ate aquatic foods. That probably meant seasonal consumption of fish from the Klondike River, which still has a modern-day spawning population of Chinook salmon. In other news, sacrificed llama mummies have been dug up in Peru and they're almost perfectly preserved after 500 years. A Viking temple dedicated to Old Norse gods like Thor has been unearthed by archaeologists.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Mummified 14,000-year-old puppies with their FUR still intact and food still in their stomachs are found frozen in ice
SCIENTISTS have discovered two 14,000-year-old mummified "puppies" with their fur still intact and food still in their stomachs. Hidden beneath deep layers of permafrost in Northern Siberia, the ice age creatures were initially thought to be domesticated dogs. 3 The two well-preserved cub found in Siberia Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 3 The well-preserved cubs — which turned out to be sisters — were later found to be were actually wolf cubs Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 The well-preserved cubs — which turned out to be sisters — were later found to be were actually wolf cubs. The 'Tumat Puppies,' as they are known, contain hints of a last meal in their stomachs, including meat from a woolly rhinoceros and feathers from a small bird called a wagtail. The mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 alongside woolly mammoth bones that were seemingly cut and burned by humans. This suggests the wolf cubs might have been domesticated by humans who ate the meat before giving away the leftovers. However, there was no indication that the pups got their food directly from humans or even from rummaging through humans' mammoth butchering sites, researchers said. Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the UK, analysed genetic data from the gut contents as well as chemical signatures in the bones, teeth and soft tissue. Experts now believe that the animals were two-month-old wolf pups, believed to be sisters, with no evidence of interacting with people. The sisters 'inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans,' they wrote, but 'this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities.' Most read in Science How the wolf cubs died also remains a mystery. "Neither showed signs of being attacked or injured either, which suggests that they died suddenly when the underground den collapsed, perhaps triggered by a landslide, and trapped them inside", the study said. Ms Runge said: "It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal that they ate. 'Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves." Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said: "Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate. 'There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost.' The DNA testing showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct population of wolves unrelated to today's dogs. Dogs and wolves are belived to be closely related. However, they diverged genetically somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, What is the Siberian permafrost? Siberian permafrost is a vast expanse of permanently frozen ground that covers approximately 80 per cent of Siberia, a region in the north-eastern part of Asia. This frozen layer, composed of soil, rock, gravel, and sand bound together by ice, remains at or below 0°C (32°F) for at least two consecutive years. Its thickness varies significantly, from less than a meter to over 1,500 meters in some parts of northern Siberia, such as the Lena and Yana River basins. The extent of permafrost is categorised into continuous, where 90-100% of the land is frozen, discontinuous (50-90%), and sporadic (10-50%). This frozen ground has historically provided a stable foundation for infrastructure, including large cities and industrial complexes. 3 Study co-author Nathan Wales Credit: Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 It comes after another mummified wolf pup dating back 57,000 years was unearthed in Canada - with its fur and teeth still intact. The Ice Age creature's head, tail, paws, fur and skin were perfectly preserved in the Arctic permafrost after it died aged just seven weeks. Its remains dug up by a gold miner near Dawson City in the Yukon also included exceptional details of the muscle tissues. The animal, a female, is thought to have died suddenly after its den collapsed. The remarkable find opens a window to life in ancient Canada's far north when woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. It also sheds light on the seven week old's lifestyle – and the evolution of modern wolves. The animal is the oldest ancient wolf on record. Lead author Professor Julie Meachen, of Des Moines University, Iowa, said: "She's the most complete wolf mummy that's ever been found. "She's basically 100 per cent intact – all that's missing are her eyes. "And the fact she's so complete allowed us to do so many lines of inquiry on her to basically reconstruct her life." The animal has been named Zhur – meaning "wolf" in the local indigenous Han language. By studying hair and tooth chemicals, the researchers found the pup's mother mainly ate aquatic foods. That probably meant seasonal consumption of fish from the Klondike River, which still has a modern-day spawning population of Chinook salmon. Read more on the Irish Sun In other news, A Viking temple The world's most gruesome ancient burials Here's some of the most haunting archaeological discoveries ever made... Shackled skeletons: A mass grave in an ancient Greek cemetery was found to contain 80 skeletons all with their wrists clamped in iron shackles; archaeologists think they were victims of a mass execution but why this happened remains a mystery Mass child sacrifice: The remains of nearly 270 children sacrificed to the gods 500 years ago were recently found in a gruesome ancient mass grave in Peru Family massacre: Archaeologists recently discovered that a 5,000 year old mass grave site was the result of a tragic family massacre; the burial site in Poland contains the bodies of men, women and children who all had their skulls smashed to pieces Bog bodies: In 1950, experts found a bog body with a "face so fresh they could only suppose they had stumbled on a recent murder." The corpse, referred to as the Tollund man, is probably the most well-preserved body from pre-historic times in the whole world
The Sun
5 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Mummified 14,000-year-old puppies with their FUR still intact and food still in their stomachs are found frozen in ice
SCIENTISTS have discovered two 14,000-year-old mummified "puppies" with their fur still intact and food still in their stomachs. Hidden beneath deep layers of permafrost in Northern Siberia, the ice age creatures were initially thought to be domesticated dogs. 3 The well-preserved cubs — which turned out to be sisters — were later found to be were actually wolf cubs. The 'Tumat Puppies,' as they are known, contain hints of a last meal in their stomachs, including meat from a woolly rhinoceros and feathers from a small bird called a wagtail. The mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 alongside woolly mammoth bones that were seemingly cut and burned by humans. This suggests the wolf cubs might have been domesticated by humans who ate the meat before giving away the leftovers. However, there was no indication that the pups got their food directly from humans or even from rummaging through humans' mammoth butchering sites, researchers said. Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the UK, analysed genetic data from the gut contents as well as chemical signatures in the bones, teeth and soft tissue. Experts now believe that the animals were two-month-old wolf pups, believed to be sisters, with no evidence of interacting with people. The sisters 'inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans,' they wrote, but 'this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities.' How the wolf cubs died also remains a mystery. "Neither showed signs of being attacked or injured either, which suggests that they died suddenly when the underground den collapsed, perhaps triggered by a landslide, and trapped them inside", the study said. Ms Runge said: "It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal that they ate. 'Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves." Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said: "Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate. 'There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost.' The DNA testing showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct population of wolves unrelated to today's dogs. Dogs and wolves are belived to be closely related. However, they diverged genetically somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, according to Live Science, What is the Siberian permafrost? Siberian permafrost is a vast expanse of permanently frozen ground that covers approximately 80 per cent of Siberia, a region in the north-eastern part of Asia. This frozen layer, composed of soil, rock, gravel, and sand bound together by ice, remains at or below 0°C (32°F) for at least two consecutive years. Its thickness varies significantly, from less than a meter to over 1,500 meters in some parts of northern Siberia, such as the Lena and Yana River basins. The extent of permafrost is categorised into continuous, where 90-100% of the land is frozen, discontinuous (50-90%), and sporadic (10-50%). This frozen ground has historically provided a stable foundation for infrastructure, including large cities and industrial complexes. 3 It comes after another mummified wolf pup dating back 57,000 years was unearthed in Canada - with its fur and teeth still intact. The Ice Age creature's head, tail, paws, fur and skin were perfectly preserved in the Arctic permafrost after it died aged just seven weeks. Its remains dug up by a gold miner near Dawson City in the Yukon also included exceptional details of the muscle tissues. The animal, a female, is thought to have died suddenly after its den collapsed. The remarkable find opens a window to life in ancient Canada's far north when woolly mammoths roamed the Earth. It also sheds light on the seven week old's lifestyle – and the evolution of modern wolves. The animal is the oldest ancient wolf on record. Lead author Professor Julie Meachen, of Des Moines University, Iowa, said: "She's the most complete wolf mummy that's ever been found. "She's basically 100 per cent intact – all that's missing are her eyes. "And the fact she's so complete allowed us to do so many lines of inquiry on her to basically reconstruct her life." The animal has been named Zhur – meaning "wolf" in the local indigenous Han language. By studying hair and tooth chemicals, the researchers found the pup's mother mainly ate aquatic foods. That probably meant seasonal consumption of fish from the Klondike River, which still has a modern-day spawning population of Chinook salmon. In other news, sacrificed llama mummies have been dug up in Peru and they're almost perfectly preserved after 500 years. A Viking temple dedicated to Old Norse gods like Thor has been unearthed by archaeologists. The world's most gruesome ancient burials Here's some of the most haunting archaeological discoveries ever made... Shackled skeletons: A mass grave in an ancient Greek cemetery was found to contain 80 skeletons all with their wrists clamped in iron shackles; archaeologists think they were victims of a mass execution but why this happened remains a mystery Mass child sacrifice: The remains of nearly 270 children sacrificed to the gods 500 years ago were recently found in a gruesome ancient mass grave in Peru Family massacre: Archaeologists recently discovered that a 5,000 year old mass grave site was the result of a tragic family massacre; the burial site in Poland contains the bodies of men, women and children who all had their skulls smashed to pieces Bog bodies: In 1950, experts found a bog body with a "face so fresh they could only suppose they had stumbled on a recent murder." The corpse, referred to as the Tollund man, is probably the most well-preserved body from pre-historic times in the whole world
New York Post
6 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
14,000-year-old mummified ‘puppies' unearthed with fur still intact in ‘incredible' discovery
Two well-preserved 14,000-year-old 'puppies' might not have been puppies at all. New research has shown that, after undergoing genetic testing, the ice age 'puppies' found melting out of the permafrost in Northern Siberia were actually wolf cub sisters — not domesticated dogs, as previously thought. The study, published in the journal Quaternary Research, revealed that the wolf littermates died somewhere between 14,100 and 15,000 years ago. 4 Two mummified 'Tumat puppies' turned out to be wolf cubs. Runge et al./ Quaternary Research, 2025 The 'Tumat Puppies,' still covered in fur and naturally preserved in ice for thousands of years, also had traces of their last meal still in their stomachs, which included meat from a woolly rhinoceros and feathers from a small bird called a wagtail. Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the UK, and her team analyzed genetic data from the gut contents as well as chemical signatures in the bones, teeth and soft tissue. Experts now believe that the animals were two-month-old wolf pups, believed to be sisters, with no evidence of interacting with people. 'It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal that they ate,' wrote lead study author Anne Kathrine Wiborg Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the U.K., said in a statement. 'Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves.' 4 The 'Tumat Puppies' were still covered in fur and naturally preserved in ice for thousands of years. Mietje Germonpré, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences The mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 along with woolly mammoth bones that were seemingly cut and burned by humans, suggesting that the wolves could've potentially been very early domesticated dogs seeking food from humans — hence the woolly rhino meat discovered in one of their stomachs. However, there was no indication that the pups got their food directly from humans or even from rummaging through humans' mammoth butchering sites, researchers said. The sisters 'inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans,' they wrote, but 'this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities.' 4 Excavation of a frozen woolly mammoth in Russia, 1902. Universal Images Group via Getty Images How the wolf cubs died also remains a mystery. Neither showed signs of being attacked or injured either, which suggests that they died suddenly when the underground den collapsed, perhaps triggered by a landslide, and trapped them inside, the study said. 'Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate,' study co-author Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said in the statement. 'There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost.' The DNA testing showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct population of wolves unrelated to today's dogs. Dogs and wolves are closely related, though according to Live Science, they diverged genetically somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. 4 Study co-author Nathan Wales is an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York. Humans domesticated wild dogs around 15,000 years ago, but it's never been clear when the oldest domesticated dog came around. One possibility included the Bonn-Oberkassel dog, found in Germany in a human burial dated to 14,200 years ago — and because the Tumat puppies were older than they, it was assumed that they were among the oldest domesticated dogs. The research shows just how difficult it is for experts to prove when dogs became part of human society.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
14,000-year-old ice age 'puppies' were actually wolf sisters that dined on woolly rhino for last meal
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A pair of 14,000-year-old "puppies" found melting out of the permafrost in Siberia have undergone genetic testing, proving they were actually wolf cub sisters and not domesticated dogs as was previously assumed. "Whilst many will be disappointed that these animals are almost certainly wolves and not early domesticated dogs, they have helped us get closer to understanding the environment at the time, how these animals lived, and how remarkably similar wolves from more than 14,000 years ago are to modern day wolves," Anne Kathrine Runge, an archaeologist at the University of York in the U.K., said in a statement. Runge led an international team of researchers in analyzing the bones and DNA of the puppies. Their study, published Thursday (June 12) in the journal Quaternary Research, revealed that the mummified "puppies" were wolf littermates that died somewhere between 14,100 and 15,000 years ago. The remarkably preserved and mummified animal carcasses were found in 2011 and 2015 near the rural settlement of Tumat in far northern Siberia. Along with the two canines, scientists discovered woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) bones that appeared to have been cut and burned by humans. This archaeological evidence suggested that the canines could have been very early domesticated dogs that were seeking food from humans — such as a piece of woolly rhino meat that was discovered in the belly of one of the animals. Dogs and wolves are closely related, but they diverged genetically between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. Humans then domesticated wild dogs around 15,000 years ago. But the title of the world's oldest domesticated dog has never been clearly claimed. One possibility is the Bonn-Oberkassel dog, found in Germany in a human burial dated to 14,200 years ago. Because they were older than this, the ice age Tumat canines were previously assumed to be among the oldest domesticated dogs in the world. But DNA testing in 2019 showed that they likely belonged to a now-extinct wolf population unrelated to today's dogs. Related: Frozen in time: 10 prehistoric animals found trapped in ice In the new study, Runge and colleagues built on the 2019 study by analyzing genetic data from the animals' gut contents and investigated chemical "fingerprints" in their bones, teeth and tissue to learn more about the famous cubs. The cubs — genetically determined to be sisters — were only a couple of months old when they died, but both were eating solid food, including meat from a woolly rhino (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and a small bird called a wagtail — but not from a mammoth, which may have indicated that ice age humans had fed them leftover scraps. Additionally, both were still being nursed by their mother, the researchers discovered. "It was incredible to find two sisters from this era so well preserved, but even more incredible that we can now tell so much of their story, down to the last meal they ate," Runge said in the statement. But there's no indication that the Tumat pups got this food directly from humans or even from scavenging humans' mammoth butchering sites, according to the researchers. The sisters "inhabited a diverse landscape that was also occupied by humans," they wrote, but "this study found no evidence that can conclusively link them to human activities." RELATED STORIES —Missing 'body' of ice age animal carving finally found — but nobody knows what the animal is —Mini ice age was final death blow to Roman Empire, unusual rocks in Iceland suggest —Ancient humans waited out last ice age in frigid Central Europe, surprising study finds How the cubs died remains a mystery, as well. Given the cubs' lack of injuries, they may have been resting in an underground den when it collapsed, trapping them inside, the researchers wrote in the study. "Today, litters are often larger than two, and it is possible that the Tumat Puppies had siblings that escaped their fate," study co-author Nathan Wales, an ancient-DNA specialist at the University of York, said in the statement. "There may also be more cubs hidden in the permafrost." Additional research on the Tumat cubs may yet produce more information about ancient wolves and their evolutionary line, Wales noted in the statement.
