The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth, nicknamed Yana, have been unveiled by researchers in Russia’s Siberian region.

Key Highlights of the Discovery

• Yana, considered the best-preserved mammoth body ever found, is a female weighing more than 100 kilograms and standing 120 centimetres tall.
• Melting permafrost, influenced by climate change, is leading to the discovery of more prehistoric animal remains.

About Mammoth

• Mammoths are extinct species of the elephantid genus Mammuthus, known for their large size and adaptations to cold climates.
• Scientific Name: Mammuthus primigenius (Woolly Mammoth).
  • Woolly Mammoths were the most widespread  type of Mammoth.
• IUCN Status: Extinct;
• Features:
  • Cold Adaptations: Thick fur, fat layers, and smaller ears to minimize heat loss.
  • Habitat: Inhabited Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America during different epochs and adapted to cold climates of the ice age.
• Time Period: Lived during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) and into the early Holocene Epoch (starting 11,700 years ago).
• Similarity with Asian Elephants:
  • Genetics: Asian elephants are more closely related to mammoths than to African elephants.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes

About Tundra Region

• Tundra Climate Region: Located between 60° and 75° latitude, mainly in Arctic regions of North America, Eurasia, and Greenland.
• Climate: Characterized by long, cold winters with temperatures below 0°C for 6-10 months.
• Vegetation: The region has a treeless expanse covered by sedges, heaths, and dwarf shrubs.
• Formation: The tundra region formed during and after the Ice Age.
• Permafrost: Permafrost is ground that remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, typically found in polar and subpolar regions.
  • It is a common feature of the Tundra Region.
• Carbon storage: Permafrost contains significant amounts of carbon and methane from decomposed organic matter, with estimates suggesting it holds almost double the amount of carbon present in the atmosphere.
• Thawing: As the climate warms, permafrost thaws, releasing greenhouse gases, which further contribute to global warming.

DOWNLOAD PDF