Researchers autopsy bison that is almost 10,000 years old found in Siberia

An extremely well-preserved bison mummy has been hiding away underground, frozen for almost 10,000 years and has only just recently been discovered, according to reports. 

The incredible discovery of the remarkably intact animal was made back in July 2011, but now scientists have taken a look inside.

The research paper informed that the Yukagir tribe in the northern part of the country discovered the mummified bison, which was a steppe bison (Bison Priscus). The tribe found it in the Yana-Indigirka Lowland.

Its internal organs were found to be largely intact, but minimal amounts of fat were present, which could mean according to scientists that these bissons starved to death some 10,000 years ago. Researchers found its internal organs were almost completely intact, including its heart, blood vessels and digestive system. Even the bison's brain was found intact. Though, some of the organs had shrunk significantly.

"The Yukagir bison mummy became the third find out of four now known complete mummies of this species discovered in the world, and one out of two adult specimens that are being kept preserved with internal organs and stored in frozen conditions," said Olga Potapova of the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, South Dakota.

Compared to today's bison in America, the Ice Age bison sported much larger horns and a second back hump. 

"The exceptionally good preservation of the Yukagir bison mummy allows direct anatomical comparisons with modern species of bison and cattle, as well as with extinct species of bison that were gone at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary," Evgeny Maschenko, a member of the team that's studying the mummy, said in a written statement.

"The next steps to be done include further examination of the bison's gross anatomy, and other detailed studies on its histology, parasites, and bones and teeth," co-author Olga Potapova said.

She added, "We expect that the results of these studies will reveal not only the cause of death of this particular specimen, but also might shed light on the species behavior and causes of its extinction."

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.