The severed head of a wolf that may have died more than 30,000 years ago has been unearthed in permafrost in eastern Siberia.

The wolf, whose fur and fangs are still intact, was between 2 and 4 years old when it died, The Siberian Times reported Friday.

"‘This is a unique discovery of the first ever remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved," Albert Protopopov, director of the mammoth studies department at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha told the Times. "We will be comparing it to modern-day wolves to understand how the species has evolved and to reconstruct its appearance."

The Pleistocene wolf’s head measured more than 15 inches long, per the Times, larger than that of a modern wolf's head, which measures between 9 and 11 inches. Researchers are building a digital model of the wolf’s brain and the interior of its skull, Protopopov told CNN.

Protopopov said the specimen is more than 40,000 years old, but David Stanton, a research fellow at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, estimated the head was closer to 32,000 years old.

The team from Sweden lead by Stanton plan to study the predator's DNA using genetic information extracted from a tooth. Stanton said the specimen is so well preserved it's possible researchers will be able to sequence its entire genome.

"With something as old as this a lot of the DNA is very damaged and it can be quite hard to get DNA out of it. We’ve been working on getting some good quality of DNA out of it," Stanton said. "Basically we’re interested in what these wolves are, how they’re related to modern day wolves, and trying to understand why they went extinct."

Pleistocene wolves went extinct between 20,000 and 30,0000 years ago around the same time that modern wolves first appeared, Stanton said.

The extinction likely had something to do with the rapid climate change, Stanton explained, and determining exactly what happened to these ancient wolves may help researchers predict future extinction due to current day climate change.

Stanton is also analyzing the DNA of a well-preserved cave lion cub that was found alongside the head. Researchers believe the cub, nicknamed Spartak, died shortly after birth, the Times reported.

"They pull all sorts of incredible animals out, they dig them out of the ice and permafrost," Stanton said.

Stanton added that more specimens will likely be uncovered as temperatures rise and the ice starts to melt.

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