Mid-holocene Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) from the Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Islands)

M Yu Cheprasov; G G Boeskorov; G P Novgorodov; A N Tikhonov; L V Grigorieva; E S Boulygina; N V Slobodova; F S Sharko; A V Protopopov; A V Nedoluzhko

doi:10.1134/S0012496623700692

Mid-holocene Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) from the Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island (New Siberian Islands)

Dokl Biol Sci. 2023 Dec;513(1):368-373. doi: 10.1134/S0012496623700692. Epub 2023 Sep 12.

Authors

M Yu Cheprasov¹, G G Boeskorov^{2

3}, G P Novgorodov², A N Tikhonov^{2

4}, L V Grigorieva², E S Boulygina⁵, N V Slobodova^{5

6}, F S Sharko^{5

7}, A V Protopopov⁸, A V Nedoluzhko⁹

Affiliations

¹ M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia. nohsho@mail.ru.
² M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk, Russia.
³ Institute of Diamond and Precious Metals Geology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia.
⁴ Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.
⁵ "Kurchatov Institute" National Research Center, Moscow, Russia.
⁶ Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia.
⁷ "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" National Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
⁸ Academy of Sciences of the Sakha Republic, Yakutsk, Russia.
⁹ European University at St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia.

PMID: 37700103
DOI: 10.1134/S0012496623700692

Abstract

A morphological description is provided for a unique find of a frozen mummified subfossil brown bear (Ursus arctos L., 1758), found for the first time ever. The find is a well-preserved bear carcass of approximately 3500 years in age. Results of computed tomography and DNA testing are discussed.

Keywords: Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island; DNA; Holocene; Ursus arctos; Yakutia; brown bear; complete carcass; soft tissues.

MeSH terms

Animals
Ursidae* / classification