Frozen Mummified Remains of Woolly Rhino from 32,000-Years-Ago!

Scientists in Siberia unearthed the deep-frozen, mummified remains of a juvenile woolly rhinoceros from the permafrost, dated to over 32,000 years ago! The carcass of this pre-historic creature, found in the ice-covered banks of the Tirekhtyakh River in Russia’s Sakha Republic, provides crucial insights into the species that once roamed the Arctic tundra during the last Ice Age. The well-preserved right side of the young woolly rhino, who died at the age of 4, still bears patches of skin and fur in amazing condition.

32,000-year-old well preserved woolly rhinoceros found in Tirekhtyakh River in Russia’s Sakha Republic. (Boeskorov, G.G. et al./Doklady Earth Sciences)

Much Predated Upon: Woolly Rhinos

The left side of the carcass, on the other hand, reveals significant damage, with clear signs that predators had fed on it, either shortly before or after its death. Further analysis of the remains uncovered traces of tiny crustaceans embedded in the rhino’s fur, suggesting that the animal perished in a shallow pool of water.

“From the upper part of the thigh to the level of the shoulder blade, [the carcass] is severely destroyed. The internal cavity of the body is exposed, and most of the intestines are missing… from the mangled carcass, it is obvious that the left side of the mummy was eaten by predators,” researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha wrote in a study documenting the carcass, published in the journal  Doklady Earth Sciences.

Thirty-thousand-year-old drawings include woolly rhinos in the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in France. (Patilpv25/CC BY-SA 4.0)

Woolly rhinos ( Coelodonta antiquitatis), like the one uncovered in Siberia, were massive herbivores that thrived between 460,000 and 12,000 years ago, coexisting with other megafauna like the woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius). They were well-adapted to the cold, sporting thick coats of shaggy fur that helped them survive in the harsh climates of the mammoth steppe ecosystem. Despite their importance in Ice Age ecosystems, much remains unknown about woolly rhinos.

The preserved skin, hair, and soft tissues of mummified woolly rhinoceros specimens provide vital clues that enhance and extend the understanding gained from centuries of studying only their bones. While it’s well-established that these animals were highly adapted to the cold, dry environments of the Ice Age, the preserved specimens offer more direct evidence of the nature of these adaptations. In particular, the thickness of their skin and the density of their fur give a clearer picture of how they withstood the extreme Arctic conditions.

Abyisky Rhinoceros: An Invaluable Species Holding Valuable DNA

Excavated in August 2020, the juvenile rhino was named the “Abyisky rhinoceros” after the local district where it was found. The specimen currently resides in the freezer of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha, where researchers have conducted detailed analyses. The scientists temporarily thawed the carcass to collect samples of skin, fur, and soft tissue, invaluable for further genetic and biological studies.

The Abyisky rhinoceros was estimated to be around 4 to 4.5 years old at the time of its death, based on the size of its teeth and a horn fragment that measured 9.4 inches (24 cm) in length. The horn also contained dark patches, which scientists believe correspond to the animal’s age, marking approximately three to four years of life. Standing 4.3 feet (130 cm) tall at the shoulder, the young rhino had not yet reached sexual maturity, reports Live Science.

One of the more striking aspects of this discovery is the coloration of the rhino’s fur. The Abyisky rhinoceros had darker fur compared to another woolly rhino calf, “Sasha,” discovered in 2014, also in the same region. Sasha, thought to be around 10,000 years old, was covered in fine, almost blond hair, while adult woolly rhinos typically had coarser, dark brown fur. This variance in fur color and texture might indicate changes in the species’ development or seasonal adaptations, which scientists are keen to explore further.

“The fur of the Abyisky rhinoceros has a uniform light brown color due to the combination of white, beige, and brown hair,” the researchers wrote in the study. “The coat is darker on the ears and feet and lighter on the back, belly, and hind legs.”

Another unusual feature of the Abyisky rhinoceros is the presence of a 5-inch-high (13 cm) hump on its back, filled with a fatty mass. Such humps, though common in other Arctic animals like camels, have never been documented in woolly rhinoceros specimens until now. This hump likely served as a reserve of fat, allowing the rhino to store energy and better endure the harsh, resource-scarce conditions of its Ice Age habitat, reports CNN.

The research on the Abyisky woolly rhinoceros is far from complete. According to study leader Albert Protopopov, certain sections of the carcass, particularly areas that might house internal organs like the stomach, have yet to be thoroughly examined. These organs could provide insights into the animal’s diet, the local vegetation, and the broader environment it inhabited.

Top image: An artist’s rendition of a prehistoric woolly rhinoceros. Source: Benjamin Langlois/CC BY-SA 4.0 (Inset; Boeskorov, G.G. et al./Doklady Earth Sciences)

By Sahir Pandey