Unexpected Discovery of Southern Reptile Remains in Yakutia, Eastern Siberia, Russia

Human bone remains and varied tool complex including palma were discovered by the Central Yakut archaeological expedition of the Institute of Humanitarian Research and Problems of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberian Branch of the RAS. Palma, a long knife-like blade attached to a shaft is a piercing and cutting weapon of the Siberian peoples. Its handle was covered with pieces of skin on the sides. A comparative study of the structure of integument fragments based on collections from the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and other institutions allows identifying the pieces of skin as belonged to a Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis Fauvel, 1879).