Caveman's best friends? Preserved Ice Age puppies awe scientists (phys.org) [View all]
March 28, 2016 by Maria Antonova
The hunters searching for mammoth tusks were drawn to the steep riverbank by a deposit of ancient bones. To their astonishment, they discovered an Ice Age puppy's snout peeking out from the permafrost.
Five years later, a pair of puppies perfectly preserved in Russia's far northeast region of Yakutia and dating back 12,460 years has mobilised scientists across the world.
"To find a carnivorous mammal intact with skin, fur and internal organs—this has never happened before in history," said Sergei Fyodorov, head of exhibitions at the Mammoth Museum of the North-Eastern Federal University in the regional capital of Yakutsk.
And the discovery could contribute to the lively scientific debate over the origin of domesticated dogs.
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more: http://phys.org/news/2016-03-caveman-friends-ice-age-puppies.html#jCp
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