Genetic testing of 23 woolly mammoths shows that they weren’t always so furry.
Woolly mammoths weren't always the shaggy beasts depicted in books and movies. And now, scientists have a better idea of when these behemoths evolved some of their most iconic traits.
Researchers from Sweden compared the genomes of 23 Siberian woolly mammoths to the genomes of 28 modern-day Asian elephants and African elephants . They found that over the course of the megafauna's more than 700,000 years of existence, its"trademark features" — such as woolly fur, small ears and large fat deposits — evolved too, according to a study published April 7 in the journal Current Biology .
"We wanted to know what makes a mammoth a woolly mammoth," lead author David Díez del Molino , a paleontologist at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, said in a statement.
"We found some highly evolved genes related to fat metabolism and storage that are also found in other Arctic species like reindeer and polar bears, which means there's probably convergent evolution for these genes in cold-adapted mammals," Díez del Molino said in the statement.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
700,000 Years of Woolly Wonders: Unraveling the Genetic Yarn of Mammoth EvolutionA study comparing woolly mammoth genomes with modern-day elephants revealed key traits that defined the species, such as woolly coats, large fat deposits, and small ears. These features were already present in early woolly mammoths and became more defined throughout their 700,000+ year existence.
Read more »
Uncovering the woolly mammoth's unique traits: A comprehensive genetic analysisA groundbreaking study in Current Biology reveals that many of the woolly mammoth's distinctive features were already genetically encoded in the earliest members of the species.
Read more »
I Can’t Shut Up About the Woolly Mammoth MeatballExtremelyOnline: Last week, an Australian company debuted the world’s first — and, God willing, only — meatball made with woolly mammoth. miamarket writes
Read more »
Genetic Analysis Links GERD to IPFThree of the comorbidities examined appeared to be causally associated with an increased risk of IPF.
Read more »