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30,000-year-old baby mammoth found, hair and skin in-tact

Paleontologists claim it is the most well-preserved specimen ever discovered in North America.
Credit: BBC

YUKON, Canada — Yukon gold miners discovered a 30,000-year-old mummified baby mammoth on June 21.

Miners made the discovery while excavating permafrost in the Yukon near Eureka Creek. The specimen is the most well-preserved mammoth ever discovered in North America. 

It is so well-preserved, in fact, that its hair and skin are in-tact. The last time a preserved mammoth was found in North America was in 1948, but it was only partially preserved. 

Initial examinations have revealed the mammoth is female and that it is similar in size to Lyuba, the 42,000-year-old frozen infant mammoth discovered in Siberia in 2007. 

   

Scientists were ecstatic about the discovery. 

"As an ice age paleontologist, it has been one of my life long dreams to come face to face with a real wooly mammoth," Yukon paleontologist Dr. Grant Zazula said. "That dream came true today."

One of the miners who discovered the mammoth expressed similar sentiments.

"There will be one thing that stands out in a person's entire life and I can guarantee you this is my one thing," Brian McCaughan said.

While scientists and miners were in awe of the discovery, the cultural impact has not gone unnoticed. 

The mammoth was found on the traditional homelands of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, a community indigenous to the Yukon. Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin  Elders were asked to name the mammoth. They named it "Nun cho ga," which means "big baby animal" in the Hän language. 

Credit: WaterShedLab

There is a considerable effort to preserve and study the mammoth respectfully.

"This is a remarkable recovery for our First Nation," said Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Chief Roberta Joseph. "And we look forward to collaborating with the Yukon government on the next steps in the process for moving forward with these remains in a way that honors our traditions, culture, and laws."

This discovery offers a glimpse into North American pre-history, where Nun cho ga would've roamed the Yukon beside wild horses, cave lions, and giant steppe bison. 

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