The estimated age of this specimen ranges between 28,000 and 30,000 years, corresponding to the late Pleistocene, a period when the thick layers of Arctic ice and cold mud were able to preserve soft tissues with extraordinary detail. The artifact was unearthed in the permafrost zone of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Russian Federation, a region renowned for discoveries of mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, and several extinct Ice Age mammals.

The object, resembling a fetus or newborn form of an ancient horse species (Equus sp.), was discovered in a near-complete mud-fossilized state. The surface shows soft tissues replaced or coated by fine mineral-rich sediments, giving it a clay-like texture. This indicates preservation in an anoxic, cold, and moisture-stable environment typical of permafrost.

Its material composition is that of an actual animal body, subjected to pseudomorphosis, where soft tissues were gradually subsтιтuted or enveloped by sediment and minerals. This natural process created the illusion that the object is a hand-sculpted clay figure. Visible wrinkles, contraction lines, and softened anatomical contours reveal that decomposition halted abruptly due to immediate freezing after death.

There is no human craftsmanship involved; instead, natural geological and climatic elements shaped its final form. Yet from an archaeological and paleontological perspective, the specimen provides invaluable insights into tissue structure, body proportions, and prenatal development of prehistoric equine species that inhabited northern Asia at the end of the Ice Age.

The specimen’s scientific meaning is remarkable. First, mud surrounding the fossil may still contain ancient DNA fragments preserved by subzero temperatures, useful for reconstructing the evolutionary lineage of the Horse family. Second, it demonstrates an exceptional level of soft-tissue preservation rarely documented in permafrost, creating new opportunities for future studies of extinct Pleistocene fauna. Third, it contributes to understanding environmental changes in Arctic landscapes over tens of thousands of years.

The find was made by the Yakutian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the Russian Arctic Research Center during an expedition studying thawing permafrost layers. The team discovered the fossil when seasonal melting exposed a mud-covered portion of the body. The researchers immediately stabilized the specimen using controlled freezing techniques and transferred it to a laboratory at –18°C for long-term preservation.

Although it resembles a clay sculpture, the artifact holds profound scientific importance. It represents a rare, frozen moment from the Ice Age—an almost perfectly preserved snapsH๏τ that helps modern researchers retrace the evolutionary path of ancient horses and the wider ecosystem that once thrived in the Arctic.