Unicorns are real, or they were years ago. The plains of southern Russia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe were once home to Elasmotherium sibiricum. It is an ancient species of rhinoceros also known as the Siberian unicorn.
For a long time, it was assumed that this animal became extinct about 200-100 thousand years ago, but new data confirm that the "Siberian unicorn" may have roamed the Earth 39,000 years ago. This means that he could contact the ancestors of modern people.
Dating fossils
In the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, a publication appeared that scientists from the London Museum of Natural History have conducted a new radio spectrum dedicated to the dating of the remains of 23 ancient rhinos. The results obtained suggest that E. sibiricum lived in Eastern Europe and Central Asia 39,000 years ago.
Considering that human ancestors appeared in Central Asia and Siberia about 40 thousand years ago, it seems plausible that modern humans and Neanderthals from an anatomical point of view could see these huge animals, the weight of which, by the way, reached 3.5 tons.
“The megafauna was still extinct 40,000 years ago,” said Museum of Natural History researcher Professor Adrian Lister. “Since it was previously assumed that the“Siberian unicorn”disappeared about 100 thousand years ago, it was not considered to be part of this event. We have dated several specimens, such as the well-preserved complete skull in the Museum, and to our surprise, they were less than 40,000 years old,”he added.
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DNA
DNA analysis, which was first performed on the Siberian unicorn, also found that this ancient genus split from the modern group of rhinos about 43 million years ago. Thus, E. sibiricum was the last species in its ancient lineage.
The study of scientists also illuminates some other secrets of the life of E. sibiricum, and also allows us to make an assumption as to what caused the extinction of the species. By examining the stable isotope ratios found on the teeth of the found skulls, and comparing the isotopes of carbon and nitrogen with those found in Siberian plants, the researchers determined what the "Siberian unicorns" ate. As expected, their diet was very sparse and consisted mostly of dry herbs.
The reasons for the disappearance
It may seem strange, given the fate of modern humans in the extinction of species, but our distant ancestors were not to blame for the extinction of E. sibiricum. Scientists believe that the real blow for this species was its lifestyle and climatic fluctuations. Despite its impressive size, this animal was most likely another victim of the Ice Age.
Author: Anna Pismenna