The research team of Russia and South Korea expressed confidence that they will be able to recreate the extinct horse species. This will be possible by cloning using DNA from the remains of a foal that died 42 thousand years ago.
The foal was found in the Siberian crater Batagayka in the Republic of Sakha, which locals call the "gateway to the underworld."
The crater is not ancient, it arose only 60 years ago after deforestation in this place and is a deeply sagging soil due to the melted permafrost.
However, what is an ecological disaster for some is a unique geological object for others, and last year an even more unique find was made here - the perfectly preserved corpse of a foal of the extinct Lena horse breed (Equus lenensis).
The foal was only two weeks old when he died. More than 42 thousand years have passed since then, but due to the permafrost, not only wool, skin and hooves, but also internal organs are perfectly preserved.
There are no external injuries on his body, so most likely he died, stuck in the mud, or lagged behind his mother. Despite being covered in dark mud, you can see that its coat is a light reddish hue.
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Russian and Korean scientists studied the foal's remains for several months and the work will continue until the end of April. Now scientists are trying to find viable cells suitable for cloning. The work is in progress at the North - Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk.
It is assumed that the chance of successful cloning is very high and now scientists are already looking for a horse that will carry a foal.
Most likely it will be one of the Korean horses, which is also a very ancient and descendant of the Mongolian horse. They also look closely at the Yakut horses, especially since they are much closer.
The Lena horse was similar to the current Yakut horses. Equally dense and squat, with short legs and large hooves. She died out only 4-2 millennia ago. According to some assumptions, the Yakut horses are direct descendants of the Lena breed.
Yakut horses.
