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. 2024 Nov 14;14(1):28016.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-79546-1.

Mummy of a juvenile sabre-toothed cat Homotherium latidens from the Upper Pleistocene of Siberia

A V Lopatin  1 , M V Sotnikova  2 , A I Klimovsky  3 , A V Lavrov  4 , A V Protopopov  3 , D O Gimranov  5 , E V Parkhomchuk  6
Affiliations

Mummy of a juvenile sabre-toothed cat Homotherium latidens from the Upper Pleistocene of Siberia

A V Lopatin et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

The frozen mummy of the large felid cub was found in the Upper Pleistocene permafrost on the Badyarikha River (Indigirka River basin) in the northeast of Yakutia, Russia. The study of the specimen appearance showed its significant differences from a modern lion cub of similar age (three weeks) in the unusual shape of the muzzle with a large mouth opening and small ears, the very massive neck region, the elongated forelimbs, and the dark coat color. Tomographic analysis of the mummy skull revealed the features characteristic of Machairodontinae and of the genus Homotherium. 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.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The frozen mummy of Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene: (A) external appearance; (B) skeleton, CT-scan, dorsal view.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
External appearance of three-week-old heads of large felid cubs, right lateral view: (A) Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene; (B) Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-210286; Recent.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The deformed mummy skull with the lower jaw of Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene; CT-scan: (A) dorsal view; (B) ventral view. Designations: 1, suprameatal crest; 2, mastoid process; 3, infraorbital foramen; 4, external auditory meatus; 5, occipital condyle; 6, internal nares; unerupted lower deciduous teeth: di2–di3, incisors; dc1, canine; unerupted upper deciduous teeth: DC1, canine; DP3–DP4, premolars.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Skulls of three-week-old large felid cubs, left lateral view (A, C) and dorsal view (B, D): A, B, Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, 3D computer models (image is reconstructed based on the undeformed right half of the skull, mirrored); Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene; C, D, Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-3034, photographs; Recent.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Skulls of three-week-old large felid cubs, ventral view (A, C) and occipital view (B, D): A, B, Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, 3D computer models (image is reconstructed based on the undeformed right half of the skull, mirrored); Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene; C, D, Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-3034, photographs; Recent. Designations: 1, palatine ridges; 2, occipital condyle; 3, basioccipital; 4, foramen magnum; 5, exoccipital; 6, occipital; 7, occipital-parietal suture; unerupted upper deciduous teeth: DI2–DI3, incisors; DC1, canine; DP3–DP4, premolars.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Mandibles of three-week-old large felid cubs, left lateral view (A, B, D) and occlusal view (C, E): A–C, Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy: A, C, 3D computer model (C, image is reconstructed based on the undeformed right ramus of the mandible, mirrored); B, parasagittal section; Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene; D, E, Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-3034, photographs; Recent. Designations: 1, mandibular flange; 2, coronoid process; unerupted lower deciduous teeth: di1–di3, incisors; dc1, canine; dp3, and dp4, premolars.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Forepaws of three-week-old large felid cubs: A, B, С, Homotherium latidens (Owen, 1846), specimen DMF AS RS, no. Met-20-1, frozen mummy, right forepaw; Russia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Indigirka River basin, Badyarikha River; Upper Pleistocene: A thumb claw; B second digit claw; С plantar view; (D) Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758), specimen ZMMU, no. S-210286, right forepaw, plantar view; Recent. Designations: 1, first digital pad; 2, carpal pad (absent in H. latidens).
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