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Woolly Rhinoceros

All articles tagged with #woolly rhinoceros

science1 month ago•41 min saved

Ice-age gut reveals woolly rhinoceros extinction story

A 14,000-year-old wolf pup preserved in Siberian permafrost contained woolly rhinoceros tissue in its stomach. Scientists sequenced the rhinoceros genome from this stomach content—the first time a genome has been recovered from such material—and compared it with other woolly rhino genomes. They found no evidence of severe genetic deterioration, suggesting the species declined rapidly due to climate warming at the end of the last Ice Age rather than human hunting. The work, published in Genome Biology and Evolution, highlights permafrost-preserved remains as a powerful source of ancient dietary and ecological insights.

via Yahoo|

#ancient-dna #extinction #science

science1 month ago•313 min saved

Wolf’s last meal reveals woolly rhino genome, reframing Ice Age extinction

Scientists sequenced the woolly rhinoceros genome from tissue preserved in a 14,000-year-old wolf pup’s stomach in Siberian permafrost, marking the first time a genome has been reconstructed from inside another animal. By comparing this genome with other woolly rhino fossils and the Sumatran rhino, researchers found the species remained genetically stable until climate warming ended the last Ice Age, suggesting environmental change—not human hunting—drove extinction. The wolf pups likely died when their den collapsed, and the preserved stomach contents also offer a broader view of their ecosystem.

via CNN|

#ancient-dna #extinction #paleogenomics

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Woolly Rhino Genome Discovered Inside Ice-Age Wolf Pup

In Siberian permafrost, scientists recovered a chunk of woolly rhinoceros tissue inside the stomach of one of two mummified Tumat wolf pups, enabling the first full genome of an Ice Age animal reconstructed from inside another Ice Age animal. The rhinoceros died about 14,400 years ago; its genome shows healthy genetic diversity up to near extinction, supporting climate change as the key driver of its demise rather than inbreeding. The finding highlights the value of preserved ancient DNA for understanding past ecosystems and informs conservation lessons for modern species facing warming and human pressures.

via NBC News|

#ancient-dna #extinction #genome-sequencing

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Digested Woolly Rhino DNA From Wolf Cub Sheds Light on a Sudden Extinction

Scientists decoded the woolly rhinoceros genome from a piece of tissue found in the stomach of a two‑month‑old wolf cub preserved in Siberian permafrost, marking the first time an ice-age genome has been retrieved from meat inside another animal. Comparisons with older rhino genomes show the population was large and stable before a rapid extinction about 300–400 years earlier, likely driven by abrupt warming during the late glacial period rather than prolonged hunting. The find, along with a second wolf cub at the same site, highlights a complex late‑Pleistocene ecosystem and provides a new genetic window into how these animals disappeared.

via The Guardian|

#ancient-dna #extinction #permafrost

science-and-environment1 year ago•2 min saved

"Human Activity Linked to Woolly Rhinoceros' Extinction, Ancient Mystery Solved"

New research from the University of Adelaide and University of Copenhagen has solved the 10,000-year-old mystery of the woolly rhinoceros extinction, revealing that a combination of human hunting and climate change led to their demise. Using advanced techniques involving ancient DNA, fossils, and high-resolution computer modeling, the study found that cooling temperatures and human activity forced the species into fragmented populations, which became isolated and vulnerable as the Last Ice Age ended. This research challenges previous beliefs and aims to inform conservation strategies for modern-day species facing similar threats.

via Yahoo News Australia|

#ancient-dna #climate-change #extinction