The results of searching the family tree of the woolly mammoth have been surprising; it turns out the beasts we most closely associate with the Ice Age emerged not from a linear lineage, but a relatively complex web of genetic diversity.
A research analyzing 34 mammoth mitochondrial genomes, covering specimens over a span of one million years, offers insights into mammoth evolution. This circular DNA segment located within cellular powerhouses can be particularly helpful for tracing matrilineal ancestry. Paleontologists find this type of DNA valuable due to its resilience; it does not degrade as easily as more fragile genetic materials.
Scientists examined woolly mammoth mitochondrial DNA ranging from up to 1.3 million years ago, with the latest samples coming from a comparatively young mammoth dating back around 125,000 years. study , published in Molecular Biology and Evolution , outlines the evolutionary journey of mammoths spanning over a million years.
Genetic Variation Among Woolly Mammoths
"Ours analyses offer an unparalleled look into how significant deep-time demographic events may have influenced the genetic diversity of mammoths throughout history," stated J. Camilo Chacón-Duque, a researcher from Stockholm University and one of the authors of the study. press release.
Even though biodiversity has developed over the last 2.5 million years, only a small number of DNA samples dating back more than 100,000 years have been sufficiently preserved for analysis. This leaves researchers with just a brief segment of footage from an extensive TV show.
Extracting DNA from mammoths up to a million years old, studying it, and subsequently comparing it with 200 previously released mammoth mitochondrial genomes provides scientists with an extensive collection spanning throughout its entirety.
Read More: A Freeze-Dried Woolly Mammoth Provides 52,000-Year-Old Chromosomes
Major Demographic Shifts
The analysis indicated that genetic alterations in mammoth genomes closely corresponded with significant demographic fluctuations during the Early and Middle Pleistocene periods. This research backs an early Siberian source for principal mammoth family lines. Additionally, the paper explores the possibility that variations in mammoth populations across various regions may have led to distinct subspecies within their genomics.
For example, the team discovered the earliest known mammoth DNA in North America, which dates back 200,000 years and was extracted from a sample found in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Additionally, this study supports earlier findings indicating that mammoths living approximately one million years ago were significantly distinct from their more recent counterparts.
Read More: When Woolly Mammoths Wandered, People Followed Closely Behind
Article Sources
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Molecular Biology and Evolution. Evolution of Mammoth Mitochondrial DNA Over a Million Years
Prior to becoming part of the team at Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik had more than two decades of experience as a science writer, with a focus on U.S. policies related to life sciences and international concerns about careers in science. Initially starting out in newspaper journalism, he later shifted towards scientific periodicals. Throughout his career, his articles have been featured in various esteemed journals such as Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.