35,000-year-old frozen saber-toothed cat mummy studied for first time ever

Calling all ‘Ice Age’ lovers: The frozen remains of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cat have been examined for the first time in history, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

The animal’s mummified remains, which include its head, arms and part of its chest, were found well-preserved in Yakutia, Russia, in 2020 and were determined to belong to a cub about 3 weeks old, according to the study.

The juvenile’s most notable features are its small ears, long neck and forearms, dark brown fur and large mouth openings, the study authors wrote. Compared to the remains of a modern lion cub of the same age, it was determined that the cat mummy shared characteristics with the subfamily Machairodontinae, specifically Homotherium genus – cats with sharp, curved saber teeth that existed about 12 million to 10,000 years ago in North America and Europe.

Compared to the remains of the modern lion cub, the Homotherium cat’s ears are higher up on the skull and its mouth opening is about 11% to 19% larger, according to the study. Its neck is also “longer and more than twice as thick” as that of the modern juvenile.

For fans of the “Ice Age” film series, the description of the saber-toothed cat may sound familiar. The character Diego, a saber-toothed tiger, has very similar features to the 35,000-year-old youth.

It is the first time that remains of this kind have been examined.

“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 investigated,” the study’s authors wrote.

The study’s corresponding author did not immediately respond to a request for comment.