In 2015, a study recovered mDNA from ancient canid specimens which were uncovered on Zhokhov Island as well as the Yana river, arctic Siberia. These specimens incorporated the mandible of the 360,000–400,000 YBP Canis cf. variabilis (the place cf. is a Latin term which means unsure). Phylogenetic analyses of those canids discovered nine mDNA hapl