{"id":126205,"date":"2024-11-15T17:40:52","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T10:40:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126205"},"modified":"2024-11-15T17:40:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T10:40:52","slug":"stunningly-preserved-saber-toothed-kitten-studied-in-world-first-sciencealert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126205","title":{"rendered":"Stunningly Preserved Saber-Toothed Kitten Studied in World First : ScienceAlert"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>For some 37,000 years, the soft, furry body of a three-week-old saber-toothed &#8216;kitten&#8217; lay cradled by Arctic permafrost, its head, limbs, paws, and torso remaining almost perfectly preserved by the cold.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>In 2020, the juvenile&#8217;s body was recovered from its grave in the Russian republic of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yakutia\">Yakutia<\/a> and examined by a team of researchers whose excitement is palpable in their recently published report.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Findings of frozen mummified remains of the Late Pleistocene mammals are very rare,&#8221; the researchers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-79546-1\">explain<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For the first time in the history of paleontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Remains of long-buried animals are often scattered by predators, scavengers, and the elements, meaning much of our understanding of extinct animals that predate human history is often based on a few bones from here, a few teeth from there.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>But this mummified saber-toothed cat (<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Homotherium\">Homotherium latidens<\/a><\/em>), whose Late Pleistocene life was cut short for unknown reasons, was found with its front half relatively intact, with incomplete pelvic bones, femur, and shin bones encased in ice nearby.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The astonishing discovery offers unprecedented insight into the species&#8217; physical features, from its fur and the unusual shape of its muzzle, right down to its perfectly preserved toe beans \u2013 ahem \u2013 I mean, its front paw.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143737\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143737\" style=\"width: 1926px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1.jpeg\" alt=\"dorsal view - photo of the mummified cub, beside a CT-scan of its skeleton\" width=\"1926\" height=\"907\" class=\"wp-image-143737 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1.jpeg 1926w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1-642x302.jpeg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1-881x415.jpeg 881w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1-768x362.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1-1536x723.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten1-600x283.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1926px) 100vw, 1926px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143737\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The frozen mummy (A) shown beside a generated image of a CT scan revealing its skeleton. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-79546-1\">Lopatin et al., <em>Scientific Reports<\/em>, 2024<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An analysis of the cat&#8217;s remains reveals key differences to modern lion cubs of a similar age, estimated to be around three weeks. By comparing this species to a living relative, we gain a better understanding of the long-gone species, which lived in a drastically different world than the one we know.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The discovery of <i>H. latidens<\/i> mummy in Yakutia radically expands the understanding of distribution of the genus and confirms its presence in the Late Pleistocene of Asia,&#8221; the authors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-79546-1\">note<\/a>. The mummy,<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yakutia\"\/> found in what is now northeastern Siberia, is the first evidence that the species&#8217; range extended so far north, so long ago.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>The Late Pleistocene is known for massive changes to the Earth&#8217;s climate, including the Last Glacial Maximum, which peaked around 26,000 years ago. We can learn a lot about life during this period from the remains of preserved flora and fauna that lived and died in a rapidly changing climate.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Despite its premature end, the cub appears to have been well-adapted to the cold: its paws are relatively wide compared to those of its living relatives. It also has no carpal pads, the lack of which is thought to be an adaptation to low temperatures and walking in snow.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143736\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143736\" style=\"width: 1806px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4.jpg\" alt=\"black and white photos of the cub's paw, compared with a 3-week-old lion paw\" width=\"1806\" height=\"1269\" class=\"wp-image-143736 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4.jpg 1806w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4-642x451.jpg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4-591x415.jpg 591w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4-768x540.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4-1536x1079.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten4-600x422.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1806px) 100vw, 1806px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143736\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A, B, and C show the mummified cub&#8217;s paw. D shows a lion&#8217;s paw for comparison. (Lopatin et al., <em>Scientific Reports<\/em>, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>H. latidens <\/em>is the only species in its genus known to inhabit Eurasia at this time, and specimens from northern Spain suggest it mainly hunted large prey, like <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aurochs\">aurochs<\/a> and deer.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Compared to a three-week-old lion cub, the prehistoric baby cat&#8217;s muzzle has a noticeably large mouth, small ears, and a &#8220;very massive neck region&#8221;, along with elongated forelimbs.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>Its dark brown fur is &#8220;short, thick, soft,&#8221; and longer on its back and neck than the fur on its legs, with beardy tufts on the corners of its mouth. And like any self-respecting feline, it even has whiskers: two rows on the upper lip.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_143739\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-143739\" style=\"width: 1048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2.jpeg\" alt=\"a side-view photo of the mummified cub's head shown alongside a side-view photo of a lion cub's head for comparison\" width=\"1048\" height=\"1553\" class=\"wp-image-143739 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2.jpeg 1048w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2-642x951.jpeg 642w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2-280x415.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2-768x1138.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2-1037x1536.jpeg 1037w, https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/images\/2024\/11\/saber-tooth-kitten2-600x889.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1048px) 100vw, 1048px\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-143739\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The mummified cub&#8217;s head (A) reveals some key differences from that of a lion cub (B). But despite their differences, they share many key feline features, including adorable whiskers. (Lopatin et al., <em>Scientific Reports<\/em>, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;One of the striking features of the morphology of <i>Homotherium<\/i>, both in adults and in the studied cub, is the presence of an enlarged premaxillary bone,&#8221; the authors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-79546-1\">write<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>This jaw shape allows for the genus&#8217;s characteristic row of large, cone-shaped incisors.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START single\/mrec --><br \/>\n<!-- END single\/mrec --><\/p>\n<p>So far the authors have analyzed only the most striking and unusual physical features of this young cat, but they&#8217;re already working on another paper that will discuss the cub&#8217;s anatomy in more detail.<\/p>\n<p>This study was published in <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-79546-1\">Scientific Reports<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/stunningly-preserved-saber-toothed-kitten-studied-in-world-first\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For some 37,000 years, the soft, furry body of a three-week-old saber-toothed &#8216;kitten&#8217; lay cradled by Arctic permafrost, its head, limbs, paws, and torso remaining almost perfectly preserved by the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=126205\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8628],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-science","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=126205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126205\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=126205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=126205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=126205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}