‘Siberian Unicorn' existed the same time as humans, scientists say

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A newly discovered fossil site suggests the Siberian unicorn, an extinct species of mammal resembling the modern-day rhino, went extinct much later than originally thought.

A skull of a giant rhinoceros called Elasmotherium sibiricum, which may be the inspiration to the legend of the unicorn, was found at the fossil site in the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan.

Radiocarbon dating of the extinct rhino bones suggests the species died off tens of thousands of years later than we thought, according to findings published in the American Journal of Applied Sciences.

The new study suggests the Siberian unicorn last walked the Earth about 29,000 years ago. Scientists previously believed the extinct rhino died out about 350,000 years ago.

Scientists believe the beast and humans might have met, since our ancestors began spreading across Asia more than 50,000 years ago and likely went to Siberia around 35,000 years ago.

Scientists believe the Siberian unicorn was roughly 7 feet tall, 15 feet tall and weighed 4 tons. Its most recognizable feature was its single horn - which is thought to have been much longer than a rhino’s - up to multiple feet long.