ScienceThe Straits TimesFamous Siberian cave yields remains of yak-like Ice Age mammal
Researchers have identified a previously unknown Ice Age mammal closely related to the modern yak from bone fragments found in Siberia's famous Denisova Cave.
Oct 19 - A Siberian cave already famous for yielding the first remains of an extinct human lineage called the Denisovans, who once roamed widely in Eurasia, has now produced evidence of a previously unknown large Ice Age mammal closely related to today's yak. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Scientists analysing bone fragments from Denisova Cave in Siberia discovered they belonged to a previously unknown large Ice Age mammal, now nicknamed Yak X.
Ancient DNA from 20 bone fragments showed the species diverged from the ancestors of the modern yak around 400,000 years ago, with the oldest specimen dating to 250,000 years ago.
The find highlights how advances in ancient DNA analysis can reveal entirely new species from fragments too small and broken to identify by shape alone, the researchers said.
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