Scientists Find Perfectly Intact 18,000-Year-Old Dog in Permafrost, But Experts Think it May Be a Wolf

Scientists in Russia were shocked last year after the discovery a furry little puppy that was buried beneath frozen mud for a whopping 18,000 years, bringing us face to face with prehistoric animal life.

But what can his death tell us about the dogs we have as pets today?

Impressively Intact

The puppy which was discovered by locals in the Russian region of Yakutia, is being studied by a group of scientists at North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk, the capital of Yakutia.

Discovered By Locals

The impressively preserved pup was found in the summer of 2018 inside a lump of a frozen, muddy ground near Indigirka River, North-East of Yakutsk, its full body intact with a shapely snout, and even whiskers and eyelashes protected by permafrost.

Freezing Conditions Made for Perfect Preservations

Yakutsk, where the puppy was found, is known for its extreme freezing temperatures during the winter months.

In fact, last year a photo of a woman in this city with frozen eyelashes went viral, showing us just how cold it is in this part of the world.

Experts Were Unsure Just How Old the Dog Really Was

Following the discovery of the puppy, scientists explained how the conditions of the permafrost could mean that the animal may have died 100-200 years ago.

However, this was before researchers in Stockholm conducted radio carbon dating to discover the true age of the animal and when they did they were astonished by the impressive age of this furry little creature.