Unexpected discovery by miners
On June 21, Travis Mudry, a miner working at the Klondike gold mine in Canada's Yukon, was cleaning up the mine with a tool that could cut deep permafrost, and after the permafrost rupture, he vaguely saw dark animal carcasses and his intuition told him that this could not continue, so he turned to more conventional tools to excavate, and eventually found the remains of an animal, now revealing only its skin and eyes, Travis Mudry hurried to contact the Yukon government.
Paleontologists from the Yukon Geological Survey and the University of Calgary immediately called Travis Mudry and told him to protect the site and avoid cleaning up the remains himself. They then immediately arrived at the scene, and the researchers cleared the minerals that surrounded the ancient animal, eventually revealing the complete remains of a mammoth cub.
The researchers covered it with a wet blanket and tarp, excited and happy, because the storm would soon follow, and if they came late, maybe the mammoth would be washed away.
Very complete
The Yukon, which officially joined Canada in 1898, is located on Canada's northwestern border, about one-tenth of which is located in the Arctic Circle, has a harsh climate, and its main history is made up of the first Indigenous Indians who lived here, who revere nature and have full respect for all the regrets unearthed here. The aborigines named this mammoth cub "Nun cho ga", which translates to almost "giant baby animal", which means very bluntly.
Although the Yukon is best known for the wonderful excavation of very complete Ice Age animals, intact remains of this degree are also very rare, and it is arguably the most complete mummified mammoth ever found in North America, with only the 42,000-year-old mummified mammoth found in Siberia in 2007.
Paleontologists were thrilled, and what was most incredible was the integrity of this mummified mammoth, with its hair and skin, and its internal organs were still intact. Studying it can not only better understand extinct species, but also learn about other big games of the time, such as bison, wild horses, and cave lions.
In the midst of local customs and culture, the research team is working with the Yukon Government to advance the next steps in these remains in a way that respects its traditions, culture and laws.
The secrets of the permafrost
Unearthing such intact mammoth remains is of great significance to the study of paleontology, but another topic of concern will be brought to the fore: ancient viruses in permafrost.
Beginning in 1999, scientists began to worry about its ancient virus. At that time, a team of scientists found a virus called "tomato flower leaf" in the underground ice core at a depth of 2,000 meters in Greenland, and its genome could be detected after 140,000 years, showing its integrity.
With such an experience, various scientists in the study of excavating the permafrost began to be cautious, trying to detect and study the viruses in it, and the remains of various ancient animals unearthed were also suspected of carrying ancient viruses that modern species could not cope with. Once they enter the modern ecology, they may pose a huge threat.
postscript
Fortunately, almost all the ancient viruses found so far cannot affect humans, after all, most of these viruses are also the precursors of modern viruses, and there are already more advanced antibodies in the human body. Everyone is worried that the location is very good to use one of our old sayings: "Don't be afraid of ten thousand, just in case". What if these viruses are extremely adaptable and directly mutate after entering the modern era?
It is useless to worry about white, human beings have always seen tricks and tricks, and no one can do a good job of defending the unknown.