Anna Hartz
They Thought They Were Dogs — But DNA Revealed a Wild Twist!
The Arctic isn’t just a frozen wasteland. It’s also a time capsule. Under the Siberian permafrost, things can stay preserved for thousands of years.
In 2011 and again in 2015, scientists made an incredible discovery near the village of Tumat, according to Videnskab. They found two well-preserved puppies buried in the frozen ground.
At first, researchers believed the pups were early domestic dogs. That theory made sense at the time.
They Were Sisters
But now, new research tells a different story. According to a recent study from the University of York, the pups were not dogs at all. They were most likely wolf sisters.
The study was published in the journal Quaternary Research. Scientists from several countries took part in the research.
They examined the pups’ DNA. They also studied their bones, teeth, and preserved organs.
What they found was surprising. Both wolf pups had been eating solid food before they died.
Their Last Meal
Their last meals included meat from a woolly rhinoceros and even a small bird, likely a wagtail. Just like modern wolves, their diet included both meat and plants.
One of the pups still had undigested rhino meat in its stomach. That suggests the animals died shortly after eating.
Woolly rhinos were large animals. This has led scientists to think these ancient wolves may have been bigger than today’s wolves.
One of the researchers, Anne Kathrine Runge from the University of York, said it was incredible to find two such well-preserved sisters.
What amazed her even more was being able to tell part of their story, down to what they ate last.
Important Research
Earlier studies had guessed the pups were dogs. Their dark fur supported that idea, as black coats are often linked to a mutation in domestic dogs. But this new research challenges that belief.
Even though they weren’t early dogs, the discovery is still important. These frozen wolves give us a glimpse into what life was like during the last Ice Age.
Their short lives are helping scientists understand how animals survived in a world very different from ours today.