Research overview: permafrost mummies and soft-tissue preservation in cave lions

This overview surveys the science of permafrost-preserved cave lion remains, an exceptional class of fossils in which freezing has retained skin, fur, muscle, and other soft tissues for tens of thousands of years. The survey reviews how such mummies form when carcasses are rapidly buried and frozen in Siberian and Beringian sediments, the analytical opportunities they create for studying coat colour, anatomy, diet, and ancient DNA, and the special challenges of conserving and imaging thawing specimens. It discusses how these finds complement the far more common skeletal record by revealing features of appearance and physiology otherwise lost to time. Permafrost mummies have transformed cave lion research, providing direct evidence that bridges the gap between bones, genetics, and the living animal.