Photo: Michil YAKOVLEV / from the archive of NEFU Newsroom

Samples of the Pleistocene dog to be taken from Yakutia to Japan this summer. The transfer of fossil animal will take place after the signing of a memorandum between North-Eastern Federal University and Tohoku Medical University, according to TASS Agency.

Let us recall that two Pleistocene puppies were found in Yakutia in 2011 and 2015. Samples of the first puppy are already at Tohoku University. "Samples of the second one will be taken for research this summer, after the signing of a memorandum between two universities", said Sergey Fyodorov, Head of the interregional scientific expedition, Head of the Expositional Department at NEFU Mammoth Museum.

The researchers developed a hypothesis that three-month-old puppies were probably from the same litter, and belonged to the late Pleistocene. The dogs had well preserved dark hair, skin, internal organs, paws, claws, tail, such preservation is unique.

"Body’s oblateness of the first discovery, analysis of postmortem postures allow to suggest that the puppies were trapped by landslide in den, or when they were gnawing remains of a mammoth, as there were mammoth’s bones", Sergey Fyodorov said. Currently, scientists are studying the puppy’s stomach contents, their brain, extracted samples of microorganisms. Also, trace examination of mammoth’s bones with traces of ancient human is conducted.

"We hope that the dating of the bones with traces of ancient human activity coincides with the dating of Pleistocene puppies, which suggests the existence of the relationship between the puppies and ancient human. The presence of burnt mammoth bones brings hope for the habitation of these puppies next to a man", he said.

The first research results will be announced in early May.