According to the Yukon Territory Government and Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, a traditional local territory, a Canadian gold miner found a nearly completely mummified baby mammoth on Tuesday. The baby girl was named Nun, which means "baby big animal" in Khan.
Miners found a baby holding skin and hair while excavating the permafrost layer of Eureka Creek in the traditional territory of Klondike Goldfield.According to a government press release. She is estimated to have frozen during the Ice Age over 30,000 years ago. During her lifetime, she probably roamed Yukon with wild horses, cave lions, and giant steppe bison.
“Even in areas with world-famous fossils, this discovery is“ important ”and rare. Is. " Records of animals during the ice age.
"The discovery of the nun moth shows the first near-complete and best-preserved mummified mammoth in North America," the press said. The release states.
"Wow," Elder Peggy Colmendi's Tr'ondëk Hwëch'stated in a statement. "When they removed the tarpaulin, I took a breath. We all have to treat it with respect. When that happens, it will be strong and we will be healed. We must be people. "
A similar discovery was made in Alaska, where a partial mammoth calf named Effie was discovered in 1948. In 2007, a 42,000-year-old infant mummy's wool mammoth named Lyuba was discovered in Siberia. .. According to the press release, the nun is about the same size as Luba.
Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin and the Yukon Territory Government are working together to “respect and learn about nun moths,” the press release said.
"As an ice age paleontologist, facing real mammoths was one of my life's dreams," said Dr. Grant Zazura, a paleontologist in the Yukon Territory. "That dream came true today. The nun is beautiful and one of the most incredibly mummified ice age animals ever discovered in the world. Excited to know more about her.
Sophie Reardon is a news editor for CBS News. sophie.reardon@viacomcbs.com
Thank you for reading CBS News.
Create a free account or log in to
to take advantage of other features.
