(Image credit: Getty Images/Science Photo Library – LEONELLO CALVETTI)
These frozen prehistoric animals are superbly well-preserved and now famous around the world.
1. Woolly rhino baby named Sasha
This woolly rhino baby, affectionately named Sasha by the man who found it, was the first young member of its species ever found. It’s unclear if it is male or female, but the horn size suggests it had been weaned by the time it died. It roamed the mammoth steppe, a dry, cold region from Spain to Siberia.
Related: See photos of the extinct wooly rhino baby
2. Lion or lynx
Scientists unearthed s squashed, mummified cat in eastern Siberia in 2017. It could either be a lynx kitten or a cave lion cub. Its coat is in beautiful condition, but we can’t be sure of the species as we don’t really know what a cave lion looked like.
Related: See photos of the mysterious ice age cat mummy
3. Mammoth calves
Explorers unearthed two mammoth calves dating to about 40,000 years ago in two different areas of Siberia. Researchers took a closer look at the specimens using CT scans and discovered that both baby mammoths had choked on mud. The little mammoths appeared otherwise plump and healthy when they met their demise.
Related: See inside the skin and bones of preserved mammoth calves
4. Ancient bison
The most complete steppe bison specimen ever found is 9,000 years old. It has a complete heart, brain and digestive system, along with near-perfect blood vessels. Some organs have shrunk over time but are remarkable, nonetheless.
Related: See photos of the 9,000-year-old bison mummy found in Siberia
5. Frozen foal
A two-month-old horse that died between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago made its way approximately 100 meters (328 feet) below the surface, deep in a Siberian crater. In life, the young horse stood almost 1 m (3 feet) tall, and its hooves are still intact, along with tiny hairs that are still visible inside the foal’s nostrils.
Related: See photos of the perfectly preserved ice age foal
This article was adapted from a previous version published in How It Works magazine, a Future Ltd. publication. To learn more about the wonders of the natural world, subscribe to How It Works magazine.