– a prehistoric creature that amazes scientists

In the fall of 2020, some reindeer herders made an amazing discovery in northern Russia.

Buried in the Siberian permafrost, they found a bear carcass complete with soft tissues. All the internal organs were in place – even the bear’s nose was still intact.

Scientists thought it could be the cave bear, a prehistoric bear species that became extinct 25,000 years ago.

– This is the first and only discovery of its kind, he wrote Northeastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk on its website.

Recent analyzes now show that the answer is something entirely different.

The biggest bear of all time

Power Cave bearing Ursus spelaeus She once wandered through the forests of Europe and Siberia. It is closely related to brown bears and polar bears.

But with a weight of up to 1,000 kilograms and a height of two meters with a mane, it was larger than some of today’s teddy bears.

As of 2020, only fossils and skeletal remains have been found. In addition, it has been reproduced on many cave paintings.

But then a bear carcass was dug up on the Lyakhovsky Islands between the Laptev and East Siberian seas in northern Russia. Scientists have estimated that the age of the bear could be between 22,000 and 39,500 years old.

– To find out the exact age, a radiocarbon analysis should be done, said senior researcher Maxim Chebrasov at the Mammoth Museum Laboratory in Yakutsk.

Hyena attack escaped – killed by elephant

Leg kick during theory

Now, however, new analyzes show that the researchers’ immediate assumptions and great cave bear hopes are far from reality.

A research team from NEFU performed a full autopsy on a bear and the results speak for themselves:

The team explained that the “mummy bear” is a brown bear that the researchers date back to 3,460 years ago. statement. The dog is supposed to be 1.6 meters tall and weigh around 78 kilograms.

Researchers estimate that al-Banna was two or three years old when he died. It is unclear how the bear died, but the carcass showed signs of significant spinal damage.

Here he fulfills his dream

Unanswered riddle

When they opened the stomach, the researchers discovered that the contents were still partially preserved. Remains of plants and birds have been found, indicating that they were carnivores, as is the case with brown bears today.

The bear’s brain was removed from the skull so it could be studied more closely.

What the researchers are now wondering is how Banna ended up on the Lyakovsky Islands.

The theory is that he may have got there while ice was connecting the island to the mainland. But if that’s the case, the researchers expect to find more bear remains.