Ancient RNA Extracted from Mammoth Remains Offers Unprecedented Glimpse into Past Life
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists have successfully retrieved intact RNA from the 43,000-year-old remains of a woolly mammoth discovered in Siberia, offering an unusual new avenue for understanding the animal’s biology and the evolution of ancient pathogens. The research, published this week, marks the oldest genetic material recovered to date and unlocks possibilities for studying the RNA of other extinct species.
This breakthrough transcends simply learning about mammoths; it provides a potential roadmap for recovering RNA – a notoriously fragile molecule – from a wider range of ancient samples. RNA’s rapid mutation rate makes it crucial for tracking the evolution of viruses like Ebola, COVID-19, and influenza, offering insights into past outbreaks and informing future pandemic preparedness. The ability to analyze ancient RNA could revolutionize our understanding of how these pathogens have impacted populations throughout history.
The mammoth, nicknamed Yuka, was discovered in the Yakutia region of Siberia. researchers, led by Love Dalén at the Center for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm, Sweden, focused on a tooth and a piece of muscle, carefully extracting and sequencing the RNA. The team overcame significant challenges posed by RNA’s inherent instability, utilizing specialized techniques to prevent degradation.
“This is a game-changer,” explains Dalén. “RNA never survives for very long, especially in warmer environments. To recover it from a 43,000-year-old mammoth is truly remarkable.”
maría Ávila Arcos, an evolutionary genomicist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico not involved in the study, emphasizes the significance of this new approach. “Having this information adds to our understanding how these creatures lived and how they adapted to their environment,” she says.Ávila Arcos is particularly enthusiastic about the implications for studying ancient RNA viruses.
“A lot of very significant pathogens like Ebola, COVID, influenza – they have RNA genomes,” Ávila Arcos notes. ”They mutate so rapidly. But if we want to understand their evolution or how these viruses have impacted populations in the past,we need to be able to recover the genetic material,which is RNA,from ancient samples.”
The successful recovery of Yuka’s RNA not only illuminates the past but also opens a window for future discoveries, potentially reshaping our understanding of ancient life and the evolution of disease.
