46,000-year-old Ice Age bird has been found in Siberian permafrost
Several other ancient animals, such as an 18,000-year-old puppy, were found at the same site in Siberia.
Researchers are remarking at the newly discovered remains of an Ice Age bird that has been identified as a horned lark and is estimated to be 46,000-years-old.
A recently published study says that the bird was buried and frozen within the permafrost in near the village of Belaya Gora that is located in northeastern Siberia. The bird still had many of its feathers and the researchers state that it is “exceptionally well-preserved.”
Experts from the Swedish Museum of Natural History tested the bird’s feathers and say that there is a chance it could be an ancestor to two subspecies of lark that are alive today.
"This finding implies that the climatic changes that took place at the end of the last Ice Age led to the formation of new subspecies," said Dr. Love Dalén during an interview with CNN.
The bird carcass that was found in Siberian permafrost. Credit: Love Dalén
The study says that it is a significant finding for this body of research because it is a rare opportunity to learn more about past ecosystems and what the climatic conditions at that period of time were like. The researchers state that learning about this species habitat and their response to the changing climate will enable a better understanding of how species, populations, and communities could respond to present-day climate change.
Interestingly, the bird was found at the same site as an 18,000-year-old frozen puppy called "Dogor," which researchers are still trying to determine if the specimen is a wolf or dog. The dog was found in nearly perfect condition within the permafrost and some scientists think that this could be the oldest dog ever found.
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