Ancient Wolf’s Stomach Reveals Woolly Rhino Genome
▼ Summary
– A 14,400-year-old frozen wolf puppy was found with a piece of woolly rhinoceros meat in its stomach, which was identified through DNA analysis.
– Researchers successfully sequenced the full genome of the woolly rhino from this stomach content, a first for paleogenomics.
– The wolf puppy and its sister were discovered eroding from Siberian permafrost near Tumat village in 2011 and 2015.
– Extracting a complete genome was challenging due to DNA degradation and the need to separate the rhino’s DNA from the wolf’s.
– The rhino’s genome showed no signs of inbreeding, indicating it came from a large, genetically healthy population before the species’ extinction.
The remarkably preserved stomach contents of a 14,400-year-old wolf puppy have unlocked a complete genome from a woolly rhinoceros, offering unprecedented insights into the genetic health of this Ice Age giant just centuries before its disappearance. This discovery, made from a partially digested piece of meat found inside the frozen mummy, represents a groundbreaking achievement in the field of paleogenomics. Researchers have never before sequenced an entire genome of an Ice Age animal recovered from within the digestive tract of another creature.
The story begins with the discovery of two mummified wolf puppies emerging from the thawing permafrost near Tumat, Siberia. When scientists dissected one of the puppies, they found remnants of its final meal still in the stomach. Advanced DNA analysis identified this meal as a prime cut of woolly rhino meat. Extracting a full genome from this ancient, degraded sample was an immense technical challenge, requiring scientists to meticulously separate the rhino’s genetic material from that of the wolf host after millennia of decomposition in the frozen ground.
The resulting genetic data paints a surprising picture of the woolly rhino’s final chapter. The genome indicates this individual belonged to a genetically robust and diverse population. A key indicator of population health is the absence of extensive inbreeding, which leaves a specific signature in an animal’s DNA. Inbreeding results in long stretches of “homozygosity,” where an individual inherits identical gene versions from both parents. The Tumat rhino’s genome showed no such patterns, suggesting its population was still large and genetically healthy relatively close to the time of the species’ ultimate extinction. This finding raises new questions about what other pressures, potentially including human activity or rapid climate shifts, ultimately led to the demise of these iconic megafauna.
(Source: Ars Technica)