Unicorns are mythological creatures that have been the subject of legends and fantasies throughout history. They are represented as a horse with a single horn in the center of its forehead. If you, dear reader, have seen one in the flesh, chances are you haven't been in your right mind.
There is no scientific evidence that unicorns have ever existed in reality. It is believed that their origins go back to Celtic mythology, which used this creature as a symbol of purity and innocence, and at the same time of virility and power.
One of the earliest references comes from ancient Mesopotamia, where seals and cylinders have been discovered with representations of unicorn-like animals. These images may have influenced later beliefs about these mythical beings.
It is also mentioned several times in the Bible, although its description varies and its translation is controversial. In some passages he is interpreted as a wild bull or a strong and powerful animal.
Thus, for him to appear in such prehistoric references, many theorize that he must have existed at some stage of our development as a race.
Have they found a unicorn fossil?
During an expedition to the Yakutia region of Siberia, Russia, scientists came across the fossil of an animal that inhabited the area about 29,000 years ago. It is not exactly a unicorn, but it looks a lot like the creatures we see today in children's cartoons.
This is an animal called Elasmotherium sibiricum, an extinct species of rhinoceros commonly referred to as the “Siberian rhinoceros”.
This fossil discovered in 2016 is considered to be one of the most complete and best preserved fossils of the animal in question to date. Elasmotherium sibiricum lived in the Pleistocene.
It was a large rhinoceros species characterized by a single long, straight horn on the forehead, similar to the representation of a unicorn.
This discovery provided scientists with valuable information about the anatomy and behavior of this extinct species. The study of the fossil determined that Elasmotherium sibiricum was much larger than originally thought, with a size comparable to that of a present-day white rhinoceros.
In addition, the fossil provided evidence that this species had special adaptations in its teeth, suggesting that it fed primarily on tough, fibrous vegetation. It is thought to have inhabited steppe and grassland regions, and its size and tooth structure indicate that it may have had a specialized herbivorous diet.
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