In the frozen expanses of Siberia, a remarkable discovery has captured the imagination of paleontologists worldwide: a mummified ice age cub, the first known mummy of a saber-toothed cat. This extraordinary find provides a unique window into the past, offering unprecedented insights into the physiology and potential hunting strategies of these ancient predators.

The mummy's exceptional preservation has allowed scientists to glimpse the saber-toothed cat's appearance for the first time. The soft tissues have revealed clues about the cat's muscular structure, shedding light on its hunting style. The partial corpse is covered in abundant fur and mummified flesh, with its face, forelimbs, and torso almost entirely intact, as reported in the journal Scientific Reports.

The cub's dark brown fur is short yet incredibly thick, measuring approximately 0.8 to 1.2 inches (20 to 30 millimeters) in length. To the touch, the fur is surprisingly soft, according to lead study author Alexey V. Lopatin, a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and director of the academy’s Borissiak Paleontological Institute. "It’s a fantastic feeling to see with your own eyes the life appearance of a long-extinct animal," Lopatin said in an email. "Especially when it comes to such an interesting predator as the sabre-toothed cat."

These extinct carnivores, distant relatives of modern big cats, are famed for their long, blade-like canines, which could reach up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in length. The mummy is the first evidence from Asia of the saber-toothed cat species Homotherium latidens. Previously, only fossilized bones had been discovered at sites in the Netherlands and the Canadian Yukon.

The discovery of this mummy in the permafrost near the Badyarikha River in Yakutia, northeast of Siberia, is particularly significant. Radiocarbon dating has revealed that the cub was at least 35,000 years old, living during the latter part of the Pleistocene epoch, which spanned from about 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago. The preservation of the cub’s forelimbs is extraordinary, with its front paws even retaining claws and the oval, fleshy pads known affectionately as "beans" by cat enthusiasts.

The mummy also shows significant differences between saber-toothed cubs and modern lion cubs of a similar age. The saber-toothed cub has a darker coat, smaller ears, longer forelimbs, a larger mouth opening, and a more massive neck. The height of the mummy’s upper lip is more than twice that of a modern lion cub’s, likely to cover the long upper canines once they grew in. Its paw shape is more circular, resembling a bear's paw, suggesting that adult Homotherium may have relied on their forearms, perhaps using them to immobilize their kills.

"This discovery not only provides a glimpse into the anatomy of the Homotherium mummy but also offers a unique perspective into the evolutionary history of the entire feline group," said paleontologist Jack Tseng, who was not involved in the discovery. "The cub represents a part of that cat family tree that goes back almost to the origin of the cat family," he added. "That adds to the mind-blowingness of this discovery."

The next steps for researchers include extracting DNA from the mummy and conducting a more detailed examination of its skeleton, muscles, and hair. This singular discovery has the potential to unlock a treasure trove of information about these ancient predators and their place in the feline family tree.