A pair of mammoth molars and a pair of boots
Fossils are a natural form of information storage. What we can learn from any particular fossil depends on its state of preservation, links we can make with its provenance (context) and links we can make with other artifacts. The particular conditions of the Siberian North allow us the possibility to recover exceptionally well-preserved fossils (the region’s low temperature is one factor, but by no means the only one).
In addition, the period that we study (mainly the Upper Pleistocene – around 50,000 years ago until 10,000 years before present) is so recent in paleontological terms that its fossils offer many avenues for analysis. The preservation of soft tissue, for example, opens up countless doors for research and is extremely rare in the fossil record.
The context of the fossil, for example contents of surrounding soil layers during excavation, can provide further clues into the circumstances surrounding the organism’s death, its ecological niche or the climate of its time. Linking pieces of information is where everything comes together. This allows for hypothesis generation and provides inputs for scientific models.
The more fossils we collect, the clearer the picture becomes.
