SCIENTISTS have conducted an autopsy on an ancient wolf that was found frozen after 44,000 years, with its last meal still in its stomach.
The ferocious Ice Age beast was perfectly preserved in Siberian permafrost and could unearth prehistoric superviruses.
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Scientists aim to detect and study ancient viruses and microbiota, as well as the animal’s diet while its last meal is still in its stomach.
Because stomach bacteria have remained frozen and untouched for thousands of years, they now have the potential to trigger new diseases.
Samples of the mummified creature were also collected to compare it with modern predators.
It is the oldest known wolf to undergo such an autopsy.
Locals made the grisly discovery in 2021 at a depth of around 40 meters in Russia’s coldest region, Yakutia.
It was then transferred to the Mammoth Museum Laboratory of the Northeast Federal University in Yakutsk.
Dr. Albert Protopopov, head of the Department of Mammoth Fauna Study at the Yakutia Academy of Sciences, said: “His stomach remained isolated, without contamination.
“As a result of the dissection, we hope to obtain an instantaneous cross-section of the biota of the ancient Pleistocene period.
“It was a large, active predator, and we have the opportunity to discover what it ate.
“Furthermore, its stomach contains the remains of what its prey consumed.”
Dr. Maxim Cheprasov, head of the Mammoth Museum Laboratory, said: “We extracted a premolar – a tooth – to determine the biological age of the find.
“However, based on the wear of the teeth and the development of the sagittal crest, we can now confirm that this is an adult male.”
Despite fears that the wolf’s mysterious meal could trigger deadly diseases, Professor Artemy Goncharov from the Institute of Experimental Medicine said the research could bring modern-day benefits.
He said: “We see that living bacteria can survive in animal fossils for millennia, serving as witnesses to those ancient times,
“We expect good results that will allow us to better understand what ancient microbial communities were like, what function they performed and how dangerous pathogenic bacteria were represented in their structure.
“It is possible that microorganisms will be found that can be applied in medicine and biotechnology as promising producers of biologically active substances.
“Therefore, this research has a special influence on the future.”
Previous severed wolf head found in same region
AMAZING photos show the severed head of a 40,000-year-old Ice Age wolf found in 2019.
The predator still had its brain intact when it was found frozen in Siberia.
Scientists described the remains as a “unique discovery of the first remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved.”
The head – believed to be the trophy of an ancient hunter – was found in the permafrost near the Tirekhtyakh River by local man Pavel Efimov.
Their surprising discovery was revealed at a Tokyo exhibition of frozen animal remains, including woolly mammoths.
The wolf, with a thick “mammoth-like” coat and impressive tusks, appears to have been larger than today’s Siberian wolves.
Russian scientist Dr Albert Protopopov said: “This is a unique discovery of the first remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved.
“We will compare it with modern wolves to understand how the species evolved and to reconstruct its appearance.”
The head is almost 40 centimeters long, about half the total length of a modern wolf in Siberia.
It has been dated to be over 40,000 years old by Japanese scientists.
Experts from the Swedish Museum of Natural History will examine the DNA of the Pleistocene predator, reports The Siberian Times.
The wolf is displayed alongside an Ice Age cave lion cub named Spartak.
Naoki Suzuki, professor of paleontology and medicine at Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, said: “Their muscles, organs and brains are in good condition.
“We want to assess their physical and ecological capabilities by comparing them to today’s lions and wolves.”
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