I was amazed when I found out that unicorns used to exist – but they did not look like the elegant, white unicorns we imagine from wonderful fantasy stories, as in the Harry Potter books.

In March 2016, a fossilised skull of the extinct ‘Siberian unicorn‘ (a nickname) was discovered in Kazakhstan (a country which borders on China and Russia). Its nickname originated due to the huge horn that grew out of its forehead.

Carbon dating, which is used to test the age of ancient materials, has proven that it roamed the Earth at the same times as humans! It has been aged at about 29,000 years old, although some scientists think that it is even older.

Elasmotherium sibiricum (the Latin name for it) would have looked a bit like a modern-day rhinoceros but was more like the size of a woolly mammoth. It would have been about 1.8 metres tall, over 4 metres long and weighed about 4 tonnes! Also, it would have been covered in a shaggy coat.

If you would like to find out more about this discovery, the internet link is https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/prehistoric-animals/siberian-unicorn-fossil-discovery-humans/

By the way, speaking of unicorns, there is a wonderful book called ‘The Lion and the Unicorn’ written and illustrated by Shirley Hughes.  It is about a boy who is evacuated during World War 2 while his father is away fighting in the war.

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Keep exploring!

Mrs. Sheridan