Ancient RNA Reveals Gene Activity in Extinct Woolly Mammoth, Rewriting Understanding of Biomolecule Preservation
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – November 14, 2025 – Scientists have successfully extracted and analyzed the world’s oldest RNA - recovered from the tissues of a woolly mammoth – providing unprecedented insight into gene regulation in the extinct species and challenging previous assumptions about the longevity of RNA molecules. The groundbreaking research,published in the journal Cell,demonstrates the potential to study gene expression in prehistoric animals and even sequence ancient RNA viruses preserved in Ice age remains.
researchers, led by Associate Professor Marc Friedländer at Stockholm University’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and scilifelab, identified muscle-specific microRNAs within the mammoth tissues. “rnas that do not code for proteins,such as microRNAs,were among the most exciting discoveries we made,” Friedländer stated. “The muscle-specific microRNAs that we found in the mammoth tissues are direct evidence of gene regulation that took place in real time in prehistory, something that has never been shown before.”
The team also utilized the RNA data to confirm the sample’s origin and even identify previously unkown genes. ”We found unusual mutations in some microRNAs that constituted very strong evidence that they came from the mammoth,” explained Bastian Fromm, docent at the Arctic University Museum in norway (UiT). “We were even able to identify completely new genes based solely on RNA data, something that had never been done before on such old samples.”
The findings indicate that RNA molecules can survive for substantially longer periods than previously believed. Love Dalén, a researcher involved in the study, highlighted the implications: “Our results show that RNA molecules can survive much longer than previously thought. This means that we can not only study which genes were active in various extinct animals,but that we can also sequence RNA viruses,such as influenza and coronavirus,which have been preserved in Ice Age remains.”
The woolly mammoth, which roamed Eurasia and North America during the last ice age (approximately 115,000-11,500 years ago), gradually disappeared as the climate warmed, with the last populations surviving on arctic islands until around 4,000 years ago.
researchers anticipate future studies combining prehistoric RNA analysis with DNA, protein, and other preserved biomolecules to further illuminate the biology of extinct megafauna and unlock hidden layers of evolutionary history. As emilio Mármol concluded, “Such studies could fundamentally change our understanding of the extinct megafauna and other species, and reveal many hidden layers of biology that have remained frozen in time until today.”
The research article, ”Ancient RNA expression profiles from the extinct woolly mammoth,” is available in cell (DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.10.025).
