Microstructure of hair of the mummy of a juvenile saber-toothed cat – homotherium †Homotherium latidens (felidae, carnivora)

For the first time, the microstructure of hairs from different parts of the body of a three-week-old kitten of the Pleistocene Homotherium †Homotherium latidens was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Its frozen mummy, aged 31,808–37,019 years, was found in Yakutia and first described by Russian paleontologists [1]. According to our data, Homotherium had poorly differentiated short uniform tangled dark-brown fur, the heat-protective properties of which were not high due to the weak development of the hair medulla, but their mechanical strength was excellent. The microstructure of Homotherium hair differs depending on the location of the hairs on the animal’s body. Comparison of the obtained data with information on the fur of kittens of cave and African lions shows similarities and differences in the microstructure of hairs in these species, which is explained functionally.