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Unique 39 Thousand Cal. BP Brain of the “Yuka” Mammoth Mummified Fossils: A History and Methods of the Examination: Paleoneurological Perspectives

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Abstract

The history of discovery and study of the unique mummified brain of the 39 thousand cal. BP woolly mammoth fossil from Yakutian permafrost with special references to the big brain reconstruction method is provided. The preliminary description of the reconstracted gyri and sulci is described and paleoneurological perspectives are observed and discussed. The big brain of the woolly mammoth demonstrates the complicated patterns of the primary, seconds and tertiary gyrification, which could be potentially used for the comparative study of the extinct mammoth specimen and living representatives of Elephantidae and for searching cross-genus differences.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to the A. Protopopov and all colleagues from the Academy of Republic of Science Sakha (Yakutia), who have worked on the Yuka project. We are also thankful for E. Maschenko from the Borissiak Paleontological Institute for his comments and advises.

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Kharlamova, A.S., Pavlov, I.S. & Saveliev, S.V. Unique 39 Thousand Cal. BP Brain of the “Yuka” Mammoth Mummified Fossils: A History and Methods of the Examination: Paleoneurological Perspectives. Paleontol. J. 55, 1260–1269 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030121110034

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