This story in Daily Mail today caught my attention right away. Ginger woolly mammoths? I mean, hello?
Check this out:
“A ginger-haired mammoth baby found in Siberia could have been snatched by hungry human hunters from the jaws of a lion 10,000 years ago.
The body of the beast – the first ever found with its distinctive ‘strawberry blonde’ hair – has been described as being of ‘huge’ significance.
It’s could be evidence that ancient humans attacked and fed on mammoths in Siberia, with the body of ‘Yuka’ showing wounds consistent with an attack by lions AND people.
‘There is dramatic evidence of a life-and-death struggle between Yuka and some top predator, probably a lion,’ said Daniel Fisher, professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Michigan in an interview with the BBC.
‘Even more interesting, there are hints that humans may have taken over the kill at an early stage.’
The remains were found by Siberian hunters and handed to the Mammuthus organisation.
Scientists had speculated that some mammoths might have had lighter colouring, based on genetic analysis of bones, but this ‘ginger’ beast is the first direct evidence.
Yuka is thought to have been two and a half years old when it died, and could be up to 10,000 years old.
Even finding such a complete carcass is very rare. The findings will be shown in a BBC documentary, ‘Mammoth: Secrets from the Ice’.
Many mammoth remains are found in the form of bones and tusks. To have such a complete body is very rare.
Isn’t this exciting? I hope the next step is that we can try and clone these magnificent creatures. How cool would it be to see a REAL woolly mammoth lumbering about?! Sigh. A girl can dream.
