One of the challenges of working with ancient DNA samples is that damage accumulates over time, breaking the double-helix structure into smaller and smaller fragments. In the samples we have worked with, these fragments spread out and mix with contaminants, making reconstructing a genome a major technical challenge. But a dramatic paper published Thursday shows … Read more
Researchers have reconstructed the genetic code of the woolly mammoth in unprecedented detail after discovering fossilized chromosomes in the skin of a 52,000-year-old carcass preserved in the permafrost of Siberia. The mammoth’s luxuriant mane led researchers to name it after Chris Waddle, the mulleted former England footballer. It was freeze-dried after death, a process that … Read more
Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. CNN — A piece of woolly mammoth skin excavated from the permafrost of Siberia contains fossil chromosomes, the first discovery of its kind, a new study shows. Researchers unearthed the 52,000-year-old remains in 2018 near … Read more
Valerii Plotnikov (left) of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha, Yakutsk, Russia, and Daniel Fisher of the University of Michigan examine a woolly mammoth excavated during a 2018 expedition. Love Dalen hide caption switch caption Love Dalen Scientists have recreated the three-dimensional structure of the woolly mammoth’s genetic material. The achievement, described … Read more
A team of scientists has made a remarkable discovery in the tiny molecules of a giant creature: immaculately preserved genome architecture in the 52,000-year-old remains of a woolly mammoth. The desiccated skin is so well preserved that it contains intact mammoth chromosomes, giving researchers an unprecedented glimpse into the ancient animal’s biology. The last mammoths … Read more
The woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island, from a tiny original population, persisted for 6,000 years despite genetic obstacles. Their sudden extinction remains a mystery, offering lessons for modern conservation efforts. Credit: Beth Zaiken Genetic analysis of the last woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island has revealed a population that managed to survive for 6,000 years despite … Read more
How did the woolly mammoth, an ambassador of the Ice Age, come to be trapped in modern-day Wrangel? … [+] Island? And what ultimately caused their extinction? New evidence suggests it wasn’t bad genetics as previously thought. getty Rising sea levels around 10,000 years ago transformed Wrangel Island into a last refuge for the woolly … Read more
Enlarge / An artist’s impression of one of the last mammoths of Wrangel Island. Bet Zaiken A small group of woolly mammoths became stranded on Wrangel Island about 10,000 years ago when rising sea levels separated the island from mainland Siberia. Small, isolated populations of animals lead to inbreeding and genetic defects, and it was … Read more
Falcon Heavy, consisting of three first Falcon 9 rocket stages, can be seen off the Space Coast, weather permitting. Playalinda Beach (Canaveral National Seashore) is the closest place to view the launch, as it runs almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Godspeed, Falcon Heavy! The giant SpaceX rocket – more … Read more
For hundreds of thousands of years, the woolly mammoth thrived on Earth, measuring its stately stride over the frozen lands. Then something happened. The earth has changed. And in a remarkably short time the mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) had disappeared; the last became extinct 4,000 years ago, on remote Wrangel Island in the cold Arctic. Although … Read more