Unicorn Skull Discovered by Scientists in Siberia

For many years, scientists have projected that the Siberian unicorn died out more than 300,000 years ago. However, a well preserved fossilized skull of the animal found in Kazakhstan challenges that assumption. From the looks it, these creatures may have still been around as early as 29,000 years ago.

While the unicorns were real, as opposed to the common belief that they were mythical, they were nothing like the pictures we see in children's book. The actual unicorn, Elasmotherium sibiricum, was huge and look just like a modern rhino, just that it had a horn on its forehead.

The fossilized skull that was found in Kazakhstan was in a good shape. Tomsk State University researchers dated the skull to be around 29,000 years old, using radiocarbon dating mechanism. Looking at the condition and size of the skull, it is safe to assume that it was a very old male. However, how he died remains unknown.

The researchers are now wondering how this unicorn may have lived all these years while the others perished hundreds of thousands of years ago.

"Most likely, the south of Western Siberia was a refúgium, where this rhino persevered the longest in comparison with the rest of its range," said one of the team, Andrey Shpanski. "There is another possibility that it could migrate and dwell for a while in the more southern areas."

The researchers are hoping to get a deeper understanding about the environmental factors that played a part in its extinction, based on their find. Knowing what helped the species survive for so long and eventually led to its extinction will help humans make more informed choices about the species today.

The results of the study have been published in the American Journal of Applied Science.