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A stunning discovery in the Siberian permafrost has yielded the world's best-preserved baby woolly mammoth, named Yana. Unearthed from the Batagaika crater, a rapidly expanding thermokarst depression known locally as the "Mouth of Hell" or "Gateway to the Underworld," Yana's remains offer an unprecedented glimpse into life during the Ice Age. This remarkable find, announced by Russian scientists, provides valuable insights into the extinct species and the changing Arctic environment.

Image: dailymail.co.uk

The Batagaika megaslump, a massive, tadpole-shaped hole measuring 330 feet deep, approximately 3,300 feet in length, and 2,650 feet wide, is a significant feature in the Yakutia region of Russia. Its ongoing expansion due to thawing permafrost has led to the exposure of numerous ancient remains, including Yana. This crater is also estimated to release thousands of tons of organic carbon annually, highlighting the impact of climate change on these ancient ecosystems.

Yana, estimated to be over 50,000 years old, was approximately one year old at the time of her death. She stood around four feet tall at the withers and weighed approximately 180 kilograms (almost 400 pounds). The preservation of her remains is exceptional, with her trunk, lips, ears, and eye sockets remarkably intact. While some damage was observed on her limbs, likely caused by scavenging birds or small mammals, her internal organs are also preserved. Scientists believe a fatal injury to her back contributed to her demise.

This discovery is significant for several reasons. Among seven baby woolly mammoths discovered globally, six of them in Russia, Yana stands out as the most complete specimen. The exceptional preservation of her soft tissues, particularly her head and organs, offers a unique opportunity for scientific study. Researchers plan to conduct extensive tests next year, which could reveal valuable information about mammoth biology, diet, and the environmental conditions they faced.

Maxim Cheprasov, head of the Mammoth Museum laboratory at North Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, emphasized the unique preservation of Yana's head and organs, noting that these delicate parts had escaped predation. The discovery was made by locals exploring the crater, who noticed a significant portion of the baby mammoth had emerged from the sinkhole's wall due to melting permafrost.

The Batagaika crater has become a hotspot for paleontological discoveries. In addition to Yana, researchers have unearthed other prehistoric animals, including a perfectly preserved 42,170-year-old foal of the extinct Lenskaya horse species, a 32,000-year-old sabre-toothed cat cub, and a 44,000-year-old wolf carcass. These finds underscore the importance of the region for understanding past life on Earth and the impact of climate change on these ancient ecosystems.

Yana's discovery not only provides invaluable scientific data but also captures the public's imagination, offering a tangible connection to a lost world. The ongoing research promises to shed further light on the lives of these magnificent creatures and the environment they inhabited during the Ice Age. The "Mouth of Hell," while a stark reminder of the effects of climate change, has become a gateway to understanding our planet's past.