According to a recent report in the British "Daily Mail," American scientists have made a major breakthrough by decoding 80% of the genome of a prehistoric mammoth using a sample of its hair. This seemingly simple discovery could be a big step toward bringing back this ancient giant.
By analyzing a well-preserved mammoth hair found frozen in Siberia, researchers were able to reconstruct a large portion of the mammoth’s DNA. This genetic material has provided new insights into how mammoths evolved and revealed that they are more closely related to modern elephants than previously believed. The findings also help scientists better understand the genetic makeup of elephants and bring them closer to the dream of reviving the extinct mammoth.
The study, published in the prestigious journal *Nature*, used DNA from two mammoth remains found in the Siberian permafrost. One of the mammoths had been buried for 20,000 years, while the other was over 60,000 years old. By carefully sequencing their DNA, the team managed to piece together about 80% of the mammoth’s genome. This level of detail is remarkable and opens up exciting possibilities for future research.
The results showed that the two mammoths were very closely related, with 99.4% of their genes matching. The study also revealed that mammoths and modern elephants split from a common ancestor around 6 million years ago—around the same time humans and chimpanzees diverged. Two million years later, mammoths themselves split into two distinct groups, one of which went extinct around 45,000 years ago, and the other disappeared at the end of the last ice age, roughly 10,000 years ago.
Mammoths were massive creatures, with males reaching about 10 feet (3 meters) tall, and females slightly shorter. They had long, curved tusks and thick fur, especially on their bellies, which could grow up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) in length. To date, around 40 complete mammoth bodies have been discovered in Siberia. Scientists prefer to use hair for DNA extraction because it tends to preserve better than other tissues, making it a valuable resource for genetic studies.
Some researchers believe that using preserved mammoth hair or skin could eventually lead to cloning. Dr. Stephan Schuster, a professor at Pennsylvania State University and leader of the study, said: “In theory, by decoding this genome, we can gain important information. One day, if we can incorporate unique mammoth DNA into the genome of modern elephants, this knowledge might help others bring the mammoth back to life.â€
However, not everyone is as optimistic. Dr. Michael Bunce from Murdoch University in Australia cautioned against overestimating what DNA alone can achieve. He stated, “Knowing the DNA code of an organism doesn’t mean we can successfully revive it through genetic engineering.â€
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