Ancient RNA Extracted From Extinct Woolly Mammoth Fuels De-Extinction Dreams

European researchers have achieved a milestone in paleogenomics by sequencing RNA from a woolly mammoth specimen dating back approximately 39,000 to 40,000 years, roughly three times older than the previous record for ancient RNA.

The RNA was recovered from a well-preserved juvenile mammoth known as Yuka, discovered in northern Siberian permafrost in 2010, according to Love Dalén, a professor of evolutionary genomics at Stockholm University and lead author of a study published in the journal Cell. Dalén told the Wall Street Journal that the findings could aid in identifying the genetic traits responsible for the mammoth’s distinctive woolly coat.

The researcher first encountered the specimen, named after the Yukagir region where it was found by locals, during a visit to Yakutsk, Russia, in 2012.

The skin and muscle of Yuka’s front left leg are exceptionally well preserved – Love Dalen

“While the path to de-extinction might be a little bit longer than most people appreciate, I think this is actually a very important steppingstone on the way,” said Marc Friedländer, an RNA biologist from Stockholm University and a co-author of the paper.

Yuka’s legs were intact, as were the animal’s foot pads and trunk, covered in reddish-brown fur. The skull, genitalia and internal organs were missing. Genetic analyses revealed the animal was a male; some of the RNA had come from a Y chromosome.

RNA, or ribonucleic acid, adds another level of insight into an animal beyond DNA, Dalén said, showing which genes are active in a cell at one time. DNA contains the recipe for how to make an organism, but RNA passes along the instructions on how to build and operate it.

Although the specific RNA sequences have limited direct application to current editing efforts, experts say the proof that RNA survives millennia expands the toolkit for reconstructing ancient biology. This could help prioritize gene edits for traits like thick fur, cold tolerance, and fat metabolism.

Yuka had been found thawing out of a permafrost cliff near the Siberian coastline. The young mammoth, which lived and died during the last Ice Age some 39,000 years ago, had been buried and frozen for millennia. – Valeri Plotnikov

“If at some point in the future that we want to bring back the mammoth or other extinct animals, then it’s very important to recognize that we need to understand them not just at the DNA level, but also all the other components that make up an animal, like the RNA and the proteins,” Friedländer said.

“The Russians said, ‘Come with me, and we’ll bring you to see something interesting,’” he said. “They walked me into this room, and there’s this dead mammoth lying on an autopsy table.”

Funny that you mention that. Saber-toothed cats are a thing in the fantasy novels I’m writing, if not widespread. My world contains some critters that are extinct today and others that are amalgams of extinct ones. There’s a certain Pleistocene feel to parts of my continent. And at one extreme are critters called rakka. They’re the last (at least on this continent) surviving land dinosaurs. They’re ill-tempered natural predators the size of a horse and can be ridden by someone slightly built, though hard to raise. But they’ve had to evolve to hold their own against mammals that have become ascendant. They’ve become warm-blooded omnivores which is evident in their jaws and teeth. They’ve also become at least as intelligent as wolves and operate in packs.

Rhora followed Caeffel into the tavern, with Adif behind. The sun had recently set, and they found many of what she presumed to be off-duty soldiers already inside. However, as soon as they entered, one approached and led them to an empty table near the center.

The evening began smoothly, with idle talk and ale Rhora found particularly good. Three men played various melodies from a corner and Caeffel struck up a conversation with some soldiers about life in Falconreach.

She recalled what Caeffel had told her and couldn’t resist, turning to a graying soldier. “Tell me, has anyone here ever seen a saber-toothed cat? A big one?”

By mute reply the man pointed to a far corner and her jaw dropped when she saw the mounted head. “Only half the lookouts we send, lass,” he said. “You don’t travel west alone if you wish to live long, and you watch those trees around you. If one jumps on you, you’re finished.”

Adif had overheard and turned to him. “And east of here?”

“We kill every one we find that side of the mountains,” the man said. “Can’t have them killing our families, now, can we? But the ones in the west? They’re as much a danger to enemies as they are to us, so we leave them alone.”

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