Russian scientists showed remarkably well-preserved remains of a baby mammoth found in a permafrost-covered region of Yakutia.
The 50,000-year-old female mammoth has been named "Yana" after the river in whose bed it was found this summer.
Experts say "Yana" is the best-preserved mammoth carcass in the world and is one of only seven whole remains ever found, AFP reported.
Research will now be carried out to establish the exact age of her death, which is estimated at "a year or a little more".
The corpse was on display at the Federal University of the Northeast in the regional capital of Yakutsk.
"We are all very surprised by the exceptional preservation of the mammoth," said rector Anatoly Nikolayev.
Researcher Maxim Cheprasov insisted it was a "unique discovery".
The remains weigh 180 kg, are 120 cm high and 200 cm long.
The corpse was dug up near the Batagaika research station, where the remains of other prehistoric animals - a horse, bison and lemmings - were also found.
Before this discovery, only six mammoth carcasses had been found in the world - five in Russia and one in Canada.
Yakutia is a remote region bordering the Arctic Ocean. Its permafrost acts like a giant freezer that preserves the remains of prehistoric animals. | BGNES
