Scientists found a new Ice Age mammal called Yak X at Denisova Cave in Siberia. This ancient bovine split from yaks 400,000 years ago. Evolutionary geneticist Love Dalen said, "It is unusual, especially to recognize a large mammal species from small, unidentifiable fragments." It lived alongside mammoths and rhinos.
Scientists just found a brand new Ice Age mammal in Denisova Cave, Siberia: think of it as an ancient cousin to today's yaks.
By analyzing old bone fragments, the team discovered a distinct bovine lineage that split from yaks about 400,000 years ago and provisionally called it "Yak X."
Yak X was more like a yak than a bison and lived alongside wooly mammoths and rhinos during the Ice Age.
Its discovery gives us fresh clues about ancient life in the Altai region, and since Denisovans may have hunted it, we also get a peek into how humans interacted with these lost creatures.
As evolutionary geneticist Love Dalen put it, "It is unusual, especially to recognize a large mammal species from small, unidentifiable fragments," making this find pretty special for understanding our planet's past.