Illustration of an adult male woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) wading through a mountain pass in the Alaskan Arctic, 17,100 years ago.
Nationalgeographic.co.id – New research by paleontologists has analyzed the genomes of 23 ancient woolly mammoths (The original mammoth), including one of the oldest known specimens, dating back 700,000 years.
The analysis is to identify persistent mutations that are unique to that species and to obtain estimates of when these mutations evolved. The results of the analysis have been published in the journal Current Biology dengan judul “Genomics of adaptive evolution in the woolly mammoth.”
They found that at the time of their origin, the woolly mammoth had acquired a broad spectrum of positively selected genes, including genes related to hair and skin development, fat storage and metabolism, and immune system function.
They also identified a gene with multiple mutations that may be responsible for the woolly mammoth’s tiny ears.
The evolution of mammoths (genus Mammuthus) is characterized by a series of morphological transitions defined by increasing specialization for living in cold upland environments with open landscapes and grassy vegetation.
This process culminated with the evolution of the woolly mammoth, which originated in northeastern Siberia during the early stages of the Middle Pleistocene, about 700,000 years ago, and became extinct by the beginning of the Holocene, 12,000 years ago, throughout most of its range.
Woolly mammoths had a Holarctic distribution and inhabited terrestrial environments up to 80 degrees north, even during full glacial conditions.
Compared to its extant elephant relatives and earlier members of the Mammuthus, it is uniquely adapted to life in the high Arctic.
The remarkable preservation of woolly mammoth remains recovered from permafrost deposits has allowed scientists to identify a variety of morphological adaptations, such as thick woolly fur, small ears, short tail and considerable fat deposits.
In addition, genetic analyzes have hinted at previously unknown physiological adaptations to the Arctic environment, including genes related to thermal sensation and hemoglobin structure.
However, recent studies have shown that only a fraction of these adaptations are unique to the woolly mammoth compared to its million-year-old ancestor.
“We wanted to know what made a mammoth a woolly mammoth,” said David Díez-del-Molino, researcher at the Center for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm.
