The incredible images of the bear of the ice age found practically intact in Russia | Science and health

The bear was exposed by melting permafrost in the Lyakhovsky Islands, part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago in northeastern Russia.

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With teeth and nose intact, the bear is believed to be a species of brown bear that lived 22,000 to 39,500 years ago.

His remains will be studied at NEFU, located in the city of Yakutsk, in eastern Russia.

Lena Grigorieva, a paleontology researcher at NEFU, told the BBC that the animal was a relative of the brown bear, a species that now lives in Eurasia and North America.

University scientists, known for their research on woolly mammoths and other prehistoric species, believe the discovery is unprecedented.

Grigorieva said the bear was “the first and only discovery of its kind” to be recovered whole with “soft tissue,” according to a NEFU statement.

“It is completely preserved, with all the internal organs in place, even the nose,” Grigorieva said.

“Previously, only skulls and bones had been found. This discovery is of great importance to everyone,” he added.

The university also said it would invite other Russian scientists to participate in the study, with more details to be announced soon.

Now, “a radiocarbon analysis is needed to determine the precise age of the bear,” the university added, citing Maxim Cheprasov, a laboratory researcher at the Mammoth Museum in Yakutsk.

In addition to this bear, the preserved corpse of a cub was also found in the Yakutia region of Russia’s Far East, according to NEFU.

In 2019, an 18,000-year-old cub was found perfectly preserved, with teeth and fur, in the permafrost of Siberia.