A perfectly preserved 57,000-year-old Cub Wolf found underground in Northern Canada

A mummified wolf buried under the snow in northern Canada 57,000 years ago, and is well preserved.

It is so well maintained by the freezing temperature of the underground that fur, teeth and skin remain, so it is a completely unique find.

The ruins were excavated by a gold miner near Dawson City in the Yukon region, and he throws an open window on the prehistoric world in which the wolf cub lived.

For a short time, at least.

The female pup was just seven weeks old when the nest being built around it fell. Experts believe that is the most likely cause of death.

This discovery tells the story of a woolen mammal world on the ground and – given the survival of the wolf’s body – helps us paint a picture of evolution. wolves through thousands of years.

This sample is the oldest recorded wolf, and the scientists who get the chance to study it are delighted with the expectation.

Julie Meachen, professor of anatomy at Des Moines University, said: “She is the most perfect wolf mummy ever found.

“It’s basically 100 per cent complete – it doesn’t have everything it needs.

“Being so complete allowed us to do so many series of studies on her to fundamentally rebuild her life.”

The animal was named Zhur, meaning ‘wolf’ in the Han language, local where it was found.

This finding is rare, especially since it remained in the permafrost for so long.

Dr Meachen explained: “These bodies are rarely found in the Yukon.

“The animal must die in a permanent place, where the ground is frozen all the time, and they must be buried very quickly, like any other fossil process.

“If he puts it out on the frozen tundra too long, it will rot or eat.”

“We think she was in her hide and she died instantly with a fall like that.

“Our data showed she didn’t go hungry and was about seven weeks old, so we feel a little better to know that the poor little girl didn’t suffer too long. . “

Meachen’s colleague, Professor Matthew Wooler, from the University of Alaska, said: “For scientists, this is gold of a different kind.”

Zhur is now on display at the Yukon Beringia Interpretation Center in Whitehorse, Canada.