Frozen Treasure: The Siberian Saber-Toothed Cub

In Siberia, mining workers found something amazing in the frozen ground by the Badyarikha River. It was a baby saber-toothed cat that lived over 37, 000 years ago! This little guy, about three weeks old, was in such good shape that scientists could study its body and fur. This is the first time ever that we found a whole saber-toothed cat, not just bones.The cub gave us new clues about these Ice Age predators. For one, its paws were different from modern cats. They had rounded pads and no little extra pads, which might help in snowy conditions. Its fur was dark brown with no spots, unlike most big cat babies today. The cub's jaw was special too. It had a longer upper lip than a lion cub, suggesting that adult Homotherium cats might have had sheathed sabers. Homotherium was well-adapted to cold places. Strong neck muscles helped them hold down prey. Dense fur kept them warm. This little frozen treasure is teaching us a lot about a cat that went extinct a long time ago.