152 fragments and whole bones of ancient animals were found and recovered in the area of the Chik River floodplain in Novosibirsk Oblast during a joint expedition of scientists and military personnel. Presumably, some of the remains are about 30 thousand years old.
Earlier, the employees of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences had conducted research near the village of Chik and discovered burials of ancient animals. But retrieving the remains required a separate expedition and the participation of well-trained specialists.
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It was necessary to explore an area 12 km long, then, with the help of divers, find and raise the finds to the surface. 20 cadets of the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School (NHMCS) were involved in the work.
Among the finds are the well-preserved humerus of a rhinoceros, a mammoth’s tusk and tooth, a bison’s hip joint, and a caballoid horse's skull.
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"Ancient horses were about 20 cm larger than modern ones," said Igor Novikov, chairman of the Novosibirsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences. “The expedition members collected dozens of horse bones. They can be used for scientific analyses. Apart from paleontology we were also interested in the geology and geomorphology of these places."
On the recommendation of the researchers from the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the finds will be dried, systematized, and then sent for examination within two months. Some of them will become museum exhibits, and the others will become part of the paleontological corner of the military school, organized jointly with the Novosibirsk Branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
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Igor Novikov noted the effect of cooperation between scientists and the military: "Specialists receive vast resources for collecting material that greatly exceed their capabilities, and the cadets of the school receive experience, potential for growth and expand their horizons."
“There were a lot of people who wanted to participate in the expedition, we had to make a selection,” added a member of the expedition, Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Colonel Gusein Mamedov. “Projects with the Russian Geographical Society develop interest in studying the nature of Western Siberia. During the expedition, we learned a lot about the history of evolution, ancient animals thanks to the lectures of historians, geologists, paleontologists."
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In addition to the staff of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the command staff and cadets of the NHMCS, scientists from Novosibirsk State University and members of the Novosibirsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society took part in the paleontological expedition.
Press service of the Novosibirsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society