'Perfectly Preserved' Baby Mammoth Offers Insight into an Extinct Species

Scientists and the world alike have been caught up in the past life of Lyuba, a baby mammoth who lived 40,000 years ago and died suddenly when she was trapped in a swamp or river. The mammoth was discovered perfectly preserved in the Russian Artic Yamalo-Nenetsk region by reindeer breeder and hunter Yuri Khudi. She was named "Lyuba" after Khudi's wife.

Undoubtedly, deputy director of the Russian Academy of Science's Zoological Institute Alexei Tikhonov spoke for all experts when he excitedly proclaimed to Reuters that the mammoth is in "perfect condition." Lyuba is in fact the most perfectly preserved baby mammoth that has been found to date, the former being a male baby mammoth named Dima, who was discovered in Magadan in the Russian Far East in 1977.

Tikhonov told Reuters that Lyuba is the size of a large dog, weighing 50 kg (110 lb) and measuring 85 centimeters high and 130 centimeters from trunk to tail. Though her telltale woolly coat is gone, Lyuba's skin and internal organs are intact. A CT scan recently preformed by scientists in Japan produced encouraging images of Lyuba's heart, liver and other organs, all in their natural position inside the body.

The CT scan also showed that though the mammoth was in good condition when she died, it's likely she drowned in a river or lake, as her digestive tracts, trunk and mouth contained a great deal of mud. The scientists at the Jikei University School of Medicine is completing 3-D images of Lyuba's body, as well as of her organs.

Because Lyuba is so well preserved, scientists are being presented with a truly unique opportunity: to look at the internal workings of an extinct species. By means of biopsies, scientists will be able to possibly find prehistoric viruses preserved in the mammoth's body, allowing them to investigate and understand the landscape in which Lyuba lived.

On Sunday, April 26th, the National Geographic Channel will air the special Waking the Baby Mammoth at 9 PM ET/PT and in May, Lyuba will be featured in National Geographic.

I first heard about this incident last week over Easter while perusing through my younger sister's latest National Geographic Kids magazine. Posing on the cover was Lyuba and entranced, I read the remarkable story within. I remember thinking how ironic it was that this mammoth was found so close to the release of the latest installment in the Ice Age series, especially since the new film is centered around the birth of a wooly mammoth.

It is ironic, but may prove to be a blessing in disguise for children. If anything, reading about the discovery of Lyuba and watching Ice Age will provide some sort of connection -- an understanding that the creatures they see on the big screen did exist, not necessarily in that comical, over-the-top way, but that they did live. Hopefully this discovery and that "connection" will lead to further interest in the study of science and other scientific discoveries.

Dan Vergano, 'Pickled' Baby Mammoth Opens Window to Ice Age, USA Today

Dmitry Solovyov, Baby Mammoth Find Promises Breakthrough, Reuters

James Owen, Baby Mammoth CT Scan Reveals Internal Organs, National Geographic News