Scientists find Ice Age bovine 'Yak x' at Denisova Cave
Scientists just found a brand new Ice Age mammal in Denisova Cave, Siberia: think of it as an ancient cousin to today's yaks.
By analyzing old bone fragments, the team discovered a distinct bovine lineage that split from yaks about 400,000 years ago and provisionally called it "Yak X."
Yak X resembled yaks not bison
Yak X was more like a yak than a bison and lived alongside wooly mammoths and rhinos during the Ice Age.
Its discovery gives us fresh clues about ancient life in the Altai region, and since Denisovans may have hunted it, we also get a peek into how humans interacted with these lost creatures.
As evolutionary geneticist Love Dalen put it, "It is unusual, especially to recognize a large mammal species from small, unidentifiable fragments," making this find pretty special for understanding our planet's past.