SIBERIA—How good do you think you’ll look after 35,000 years? A 35,000-year-old saber-toothed kitten discovered in permafrost a few years ago is in beautiful shape, giving researchers an amazing look at this extinct PREDATOR.

Their findings recently came out in Scientific Reports. The 3-week-old kitten is covered with “short, thick, soft, dark brown fur,” the scientists write. The little cat still has its whiskers and claws!

Homotherium latidens is the kitten’s scientific name. And the dry, cold climate when it died mummified the animal and kept it remarkably intact. Some of its facial features include small, rounded ears, a uniquely shaped muzzle with a huge mouth, and a muscular neck.

But its legs and paws are also in shockingly good shape. The kitten’s forelimbs are long for its size, ending in wide, fuzzy paws. The scientists concluded that this species of saber-tooth could travel across snow well. By using a method called radiocarbon dating on the creature’s fur, researchers are able to tell how long ago the kitten lived.

Saber-toothed cat fossils have been found in Russia, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa. The last of these big cats went extinct during the last Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago.

Book Returned to Library over 50 Years Later!

Do you have any overdue library books at home right now? If so, don’t feel too bad—they're probably not decades overdue.

The Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts recently had a 125-year-old book return to its shelves, and it was overdue by 51 years! The book was even returned with its due date card still in it, showing a due date of May 22, 1973.

The book was “The Early Works of Aubrey Beardsley” by Aubrey Beardsley, and it was returned to the library collection after a Boston resident found and returned it. Beardsley was an English illustrator and author. The WAYWARD book was published in 1899 and was added to the library’s collection the same year.

“It's incredible to think how many hands this book might have passed through before finding its way home, and this return is a reminder of the enduring value of libraries,” said Worcester Public Library Executive Director Jason Homer.

Fortunately for the book borrower, the library previously eliminated late fees. Otherwise, that would certainly cost a pretty penny!

This edition and volume of the book is considered a rare book, which is not surprising given its age. The antique book will only be available for reference in the library—meaning it cannot be checked out but can still be used by library patrons.

While Beardsley’s book was late in being returned, it’s in good company with other books that have been returned well beyond their due dates. Earlier this year in Colorado, a book that was checked out in February 1919 was returned 105 years past its due date. The same library had another book mailed in 40 years after its due date back in 2019 as well.

All of these overdue books pale in comparison to the record for the world’s most overdue library book: an obscure German text borrowed from the University of Cambridge’s Sidney Sussex College around 1667 or 1668. It was returned in 1956, almost 300 years late. Just goes to show, it’s never too late to return your library books!