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Scientists study 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten frozen in Siberia

The frozen cub was about 3 weeks old with brown fur and broad paws for walking on snow. The first of its kind study showed “significant differences” to a baby lion.

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The frozen remains of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten found in the Siberian permafrost in 2020. (Courtesy of the Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences)
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Scientists have studied the frozen remains of a 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten for the first time and found “significant differences” compared to a modern-day lion cub.

The cub’s mummified body was found in the Siberian permafrost in 2020, according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday. Researchers discovered pelvic bones, a femur and shin bones encased in a block of ice along with the frontal remains of the cub.