Scientists Make a Major Breakthrough with Woolly Mammoth DNA

By: May Man Published: Jul 16, 2024

A prehistoric discovery has led to a significant breakthrough as scientists have successfully mapped the three-dimensional architecture of a woolly mammoth’s genome using fossilized remains.

This achievement marks the first time that the complete DNA of an ancient animal has been replicated from a fossil.

Groundbreaking Genome Mapping of Ancient Mammoth

The research, detailed in a paper published on July 11 in the journal Cell, is the result of a six-year study conducted by an international team of scientists.

Advertisement
Woolly mammoth model Royal BC Museum in Victoria

Source: Wikipedia

The mapping of the genome signifies a “new kind of fossil, a fossil chromosome,” explained Erez Lieberman Aiden, a molecular and human genetics professor at Baylor College of Medicine and a co-author of the study, according to The New York Times.

Future Scientific Breakthroughs

This finding could pave the way for further scientific discoveries.

Advertisement
Life restoration of fauna during the Pleistocene epoch in northern Spain, by Mauricio Antón

Source: Wikipedia

The fossilized remains in question belong to a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth discovered in remote Siberia.

Mammoth was Freeze-Dried Preserved

The mammoth was “impeccably freeze-dried by nature, its swatches of fur remaining intact,” reported The Washington Post, likely due to the region’s severe winters.

Advertisement
Illustration of early humans hunting a woolly mammoth

Source: Adobe Stock

Consequently, the mammoth “probably entered a dehydrated state shortly after death, protecting it from being colonized by fungi and bacteria.”

Organized Chromosomes and Gene Activity

Scientists examined a small skin sample from the back of the mammoth’s ear, using one of these swatches of fur.

Advertisement
A blue rendering of DNA strands.

Source: Braňo/Unsplash

During the examination, it was found that the “chromosomes in each cell were still organized into clear territories, giving experts insight into which genes were switched on and off while the mammoth was alive,” said the Post.

Challenging Reconstruction

With this understanding and the quality of the sample, researchers were able to “extract DNA and use a technique known as Hi-C to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure of all 28 of the mammoth’s chromosomes — the extinct creature’s entire genome,” according to NPR.

Advertisement
Researchers in a lab, wearing lab coats and goggles looking into a microscope

Source: chokniti/Freepik

This was a challenging endeavor, given that the mammoth’s genome contains over 4 billion base pairs of DNA, compared to the human genome’s 3 billion.

Advertisement

Milestone Achievement

Scientists were “able to assemble the genome of a woolly mammoth just as 25 years ago humans were excited for the first time to assemble our own genomes,” noted Aiden.

Advertisement
Illustration of woolly mammoths walking in the Arctic

Source: iStock

This milestone now makes it possible to do the same for long-extinct animals.

Advertisement

New Opportunities in Extinct Species Biology

This discovery “opens up major new possibilities of exploring the biology of extinct species,” said Adrian Lister, a paleontologist at London’s Natural History Museum, to Scientific American.

Advertisement
An artist's interpretation of how DNA strands intertwined.

Source: Sangharsh Lokakare/Unsplash

He described it as an “astonishing study.”

Advertisement

Potential for Broader Genetic Insights

One significant potential of the study is that it could lead to the collection of similar genetic information from other fossilized remains.

Advertisement

Image: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images

The “widespread use of the technique could generate more precise ancient genomes and allow analysis of new species,” remarked Juan Rodríguez, a geneticist at the University of Copenhagen and co-author of the study, to Scientific American.

Advertisement

Understanding of Evolution and Modern Conservation

The new 3D structural analysis bypasses many of the obstacles faced when piecing together ancient DNA, potentially enriching evolutionary trees and examining how organisms adapted to changing environments, thereby offering insights for modern conservation efforts.

Advertisement
Side view of a reconstructed woolly mammoth's head

Source: Juan Velasco/Wikimedia

These conservation efforts could involve evaluating “how poorly or how well species are doing in terms of genetic diversity and their overall genetic health,” said Patrícia Chrzanová Pečnerová, an assistant professor of evolutionary genetics at the University of Copenhagen, to the Post.

Advertisement

Importance of Historical Insights for Future Research Potential

The woolly mammoth breakthrough exemplifies this, as understanding what is natural requires looking back into the past.

Advertisement
A scientist extracts DNA from Bacteria.

Source: Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya/Wikimedia

Researchers are confident that this discovery will extend beyond just the mammoth or this particular specimen.

Advertisement

Breakthrough Opens New Field with Tremendous Potential

Olga Dudchenko, an assistant professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine and another co-author of the study made a statement to CNN.

Advertisement
A photograph of a scientist in a lab

Source: Wikimedia

Dudchenko said this breakthrough is “basically opening up a new field that has tremendous potential.”

Advertisement