Study: 'Siberian Unicorn' Walked Earth More Recently Than Previously Thought

TOMSK, Russia (CBS) – A prehistoric creature known as the "Siberian unicorn" may have been around much more recently than scientists originally thought, according to new research.

The "unicorn" (more accurately: a Siberian Rhinoceros) was long-believed to have gone extinct about 350,000 years ago. Now, scientists at Tomsk State University in Russia have new evidence that shows this "unicorn" may have been walked the Earth just 29,000 years ago.

The report published in a recent edition of the American Journal of Applied Sciences says a new fossilized skull of the rhino was found in Kazakhstan.

One of the paleontologists holds the fossilized skull (Image credit Tomsk State University)

As Science Alert notes, this "unicorn" is not really like anything you see in today's fairy tales, despite its impressive horn. Experts believe the rhino was closer to the size of a woolly mammoth than a horse.