Sergei Fedorov/The Siberian TImes

A well-preserved puppy was found frozen in the Siberian tundra of the Yakutsk area (Russia). Assigned to the Upper Palaeolithic era, this dog supposedly died 18,000 years ago. Similar to some mammoths and other mammals found in the permafrost, the canine still has its body hairs intact.

Genetic research is yet to show what species it is. But the very fact that the DNA might be studied hints that this furry Friend (the meaning of its Yakut name ‘Dogor’) is much less than 18,000 years old, as DNA is a notoriously unstable molecule.

The report claimed support for evolution: “One theory is that the beast could represent a transitional stage from a wolf to a dog.” Nowadays, biologists recognize the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is simply a subspecies of the wolf (Canis lupus). Of course, this fits just fine with the biblical view because dogs and wolves (along with coyotes, dingos, jackals, etc.) are part of the same created kind. A wolf-like pair on Noah’s ark gave rise to all the canine variety that we are familiar with.

• Stewart, W., PAWFECT Frozen ‘puppy’ with whiskers and velvety nose still intact found in Siberia 18,000 years after it died; thesun.co.uk, 25 Nov 2019.