Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, has captivated scientists and the world alike as she goes under the scalpel in Yakutsk, Russia. Discovered in 2024 amidst the thawing permafrost of Siberia’s Batagaika crater, this remarkably preserved calf offers a rare window into Earth’s ancient past. At a laboratory in Russia’s far east, researchers meticulously dissect her remains, uncovering clues about life during the Ice Age and the mysteries of extinction. This blog explores Yana’s incredible story, the science behind her preservation, and what her necropsy reveals about our planet’s history—and future.

Table of Contents

1. Yana: A Frozen Time Capsule from 130,000 Years Ago
2. The Discovery That Stunned Scientists
3. Why Yana’s Preservation Is Unmatched
4. Under the Scalpel: What Researchers Found
5. Clues to the Mammoth’s Mysterious Death
6. Climate Change and the Thawing Permafrost
7. The Legacy of Yana’s Discovery

Yana: A Frozen Time Capsule from 130,000 Years Ago

Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, is more than just a fossil—she’s a time traveler. Found in the Yakutia region of Siberia, her body emerged from the permafrost, preserved for millennia like a snapshot of the Pleistocene epoch. Weighing 180 kilograms (nearly 400 pounds) and standing 1.2 meters (4 feet) at the shoulder, Yana was just over a year old when she died. Her greyish-brown skin, reddish hair clumps, and curved trunk make her look strikingly similar to a modern elephant calf.

This isn’t just another archaeological find. Yana’s exceptional condition—complete with soft tissues and internal organs—sets her apart as possibly the best-preserved mammoth specimen ever discovered. At the Mammoth Museum in North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU), scientists are peeling back layers of history with every careful incision.

The Discovery That Stunned Scientists

Yana surfaced in the summer of 2024 at the Batagaika crater, a massive permafrost sinkhole dubbed the “gateway to the underworld.” Local residents spotted her partially thawed remains and used a makeshift stretcher to retrieve her, a move that preserved her integrity. Named after the Yana River basin, she’s one of only seven whole mammoth carcasses ever found globally, with five from Russia.

Maxim Cheprasov, director of NEFU’s Mammoth Museum, called her discovery “exceptional.” Initial estimates pegged her at 50,000 years old, but permafrost analysis later pushed that to over 130,000 years—long before humans roamed Siberia. Her emergence, driven by climate change-induced thawing, underscores how modern environmental shifts are unlocking ancient secrets.

Why Yana’s Preservation Is Unmatched

What makes Yana a scientific marvel? The permafrost. This frozen soil, a natural deep-freeze in Siberia, kept her body intact for over a hundred millennia. Unlike typical fossils, which are just bones, Yana retains her skin, hair, and even organs. Her trunk points toward her mouth, her eye orbits are recognizable, and her milk tusks—proof she was over a year old—are still in place.

Researchers note that while predators ate her forelimbs after thawing, her head and torso remained pristine. This level of preservation is rare, even among the handful of other mammoth finds like Nun cho ga from Canada. It’s a treasure trove for paleontologists eager to study a species that vanished nearly 4,000 years ago.

Under the Scalpel: What Researchers Found

In late March 2025, Yana went under the scalpel at NEFU. Scientists in sterile suits spent hours dissecting her front quarters, revealing astonishing details. Artemy Goncharov, from the Institute of Experimental Medicine in Saint Petersburg, noted, “The digestive tract is partly preserved, the stomach is preserved, and there are still fragments of the intestines.” These samples could reveal what Yana ate before she died.

The team also targeted her genitals to study ancient microbiota, aiming to understand the microorganisms that lived in her body 130,000 years ago. The necropsy, described as smelling like “fermented earth and flesh,” is a meticulous process, with tissue samples collected in test tubes for further analysis. Each cut brings us closer to decoding her life—and her world.

Clues to the Mammoth’s Mysterious Death

Why did Yana die so young? Scientists aren’t sure yet, but theories abound. Her sturdy legs and milk tusks suggest she was healthy and growing, ruling out birth defects. One possibility is that she got trapped in a swamp, a common fate for mammoths in prehistoric Yakutia’s grassy plains. Without humans in the region 130,000 years ago, natural causes seem most likely.

Her stomach contents and microbiota could pinpoint her diet and environment, shedding light on what led to her demise. Was it starvation, a predator, or an accident? As research continues, Yana’s remains might solve this ancient puzzle.

Climate Change and the Thawing Permafrost

Yana’s discovery wasn’t a fluke—it’s a symptom of a warming world. The Batagaika crater, where she was found, is expanding as permafrost melts due to climate change. This process has unearthed other relics, like a 44,000-year-old wolf and a 32,000-year-old sabre-toothed cat cub, in recent years. While it’s a boon for science, it’s also a warning.

Goncharov warns of “biological risks” as thawing permafrost could release ancient pathogens. Studying Yana’s microbiology isn’t just about the past—it’s about understanding what might emerge in the future. Her story ties the Ice Age to today’s environmental challenges, making her more relevant than ever.

The Legacy of Yana’s Discovery

Yana, a 130,000-year-old baby mammoth, is rewriting history one scalpel slice at a time. Her necropsy offers insights into mammoth biology, Ice Age ecosystems, and even microbial evolution. Beyond science, she’s a symbol of resilience—preserved against all odds—and a reminder of nature’s fragility as permafrost thaws.

For more on this groundbreaking find, check out The Straits Times. Yana’s journey from the Siberian ice to the lab table is a tale of wonder, loss, and discovery—one that will echo for generations.