- Siberia -
Russian scientists discovered the body of a 18,000-year-old canine near Yakutsk, in eastern Siberia.
Preserved by permafrost, the specimen's nose, fur and teeth are remarkably intact.
Experts from Sweden's Centre for Palaeogenetics used carbon dating on the pup’s rib bone and were able to confirm that the specimen had been frozen for around 18,000 years, but extensive DNA tests have so far been unable to show whether the animal was a dog or a wolf.
CNN reports that: “Scientists from the Center for Palaeogenetics said on Twitter that genome analysis had revealed that the puppy was male. They said that, after conferring with their Russian colleagues, they would call the puppy Dogor -- meaning "friend" in Yakutian.”
The scientists plan to run more genome data tests on the canine to find out more about his origins.
