The “Saiga” stamp from the series “The 1st International Theriological Congress in Moscow” was issued on May 22, 1974. Print run: 5,900,000 copies. Artist: K. Nikakhristo.
At the Congress, a resolution was adopted to establish the International Commission on Mammals, which was later incorporated into the International Union of Biological Sciences.
The saiga is one of the most ancient representatives of the so-called mammoth fauna, which flourished in the Middle and Late Pleistocene (70–50 thousand years ago). Most species of this fauna (mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, cave bears, and saber-toothed tigers) went extinct, and today we can judge these animals only from scattered paleontological finds and drawings by ancient hunters. But the saiga is an exception: it managed to survive.
The saiga’s “trunk” is not an enviable adornment, but it is very useful. When running, the saiga keeps its head low, and running animals, especially in large herds, move during the dry season in a solid cloud of dust, and in winter in a kind of snow cloud. So, as scientists believe, this little trunk, like a respirator, cleans the inhaled air of dust or warms it in cold weather.