An "almost perfectly preserved" saber-toothed cub has been unearthed in Russia's Sakha Republic, 35,000 years after it died. The cat is of the species Homotherium latidens, a distant relative of the more familiar Smilodon. This kitten doesn't have long fangs jutting from its jaw, because it was only about three weeks old when it died. It gives scientists the opportunity to study the species' fur, muscle mass, and muzzle shape. Yakutia's permafrost is perfectly capable of keeping a carcass frozen for 35,000 years, yet scientists describe this cub as "mummified," so this a case of a freeze-dried kitten. Yakutia is also known for its dry air.
A recent paper explores the difference between the Homotherium kitten and a modern lion cub. The ancient kitten has wider paws (good for traveling over snow) a bigger mouth, and smaller ears. Read more about this unique discovery at NPR. -via Nag on the Lake
(Image credit: A. V. Lopatin, M. V. Sotnikova, A. I. Klimovsky, A. V. Lavrov, A. V. Protopopov, D. O. Gimranov & E. V. Parkhomchuk)