Dissected mammoth calf smells like ‘fermented earth and flesh’

In 2024, researchers from Russia’s Institute of Experimental Medicine conducted a necropsy on Yana, a well-preserved woolly mammoth calf found in Siberian permafrost, revealing insights into its species and environment after 130,000 years. The examination, despite its unpleasant smell, included collecting samples from Yana’s digestive tract and confirming her age through milk tusks, while ruling out human involvement in her death. However, the thawing permafrost poses risks of releasing pathogenic microorganisms, raising concerns about potential environmental impacts.