50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered in Russia due to melting permafrost | See photos

Scientists have uncovered the carcass of a 50,000-year-old giant baby mammoth in Russia as a result of melting permafrost. Nicknamed Yana, the female mammoth is an “exceptional” find by the research team, according to North-Eastern Federal University.

What does the female mammoth look like?

The female mammoth, weighs around 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and is 120 centimetres (47 inches) tall. According to scientists, Yana was one year old when she died, reported the Associated Press. Her remains are one of the seven mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide. The carcass was found among the melting permafrost at the crater, known as “gateway to the underworld”.

In Pics | 50,000-year-old Yana discovered in Russia

What is ‘gateway to the underworld’?

Located in Russia's Siberia, the Batagaika crater is known as the “gateway to the underworld”. The layer earned the nickname because of its great depth which is increasing continuously due to the melting ice as a result of Global warming.

The region is covered by permafrost, a layer of soil that has remained frozen for millions of years. The one-kilometre-deep crater has also revealed the remains of other ancient animals, including bison, horses, and dogs.

Climate change and melting of permafrost

Climate change and global warming have increased the speed of permafrost melting, resulting in the discovery of more and more parts of prehistoric animals.

Yana will be studied by scientists at Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, which has a dedicated mammoth research centre and museum.

The university described the find as “exceptional” and said it would give researchers new information about how mammoths lived and adapted to their surroundings.

What is permafrost?

Permafrost is a soil or underwater sediment which continuously remains below 0 degree Celsius for more than two years. There exists permafrost layers which remain frozen fore more than  700,000 years.

Whilst the shallowest permafrost has a vertical extent of below a metre, deepest layer can be as thick as 1,500 m. These layers are commonly found in narrow mountain summits or extend across vast Arctic regions.