New discoveries about the Colombian mammoth in Mexico reveal unexpected-and inexplicable genetic mysteries.
Had never happened in tropical regions: scientists got successfully sequencing the old DNA of Mammoth-Columbiano (Mammuthus columbi), an endemic species of North and Central America.
A, held in fossils discovered during the construction of Felipe Ángeles International Airport in Santa Lucía, Mexico, revealed surprising genetic differences that distinguish Mexican column mammoths from their northern relatives.
The column mammoths, about four meters high, coexisted and intersected with the dollar mammoths (mammuthus primigenius).
Some fossils were found in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central America, but their evolutionary history remained unfight.
Excavation at the airport, which began in 2019, revealed more than 100 columnial mammoth fossils, offering a unique opportunity for paleogenomic studies.
“DNA is like ice cream-preserves better in cold conditions,” explained Federico Sánchez-Quinto, paleogenomicist of the International Laboratory of Research of the Human Genoma of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Despite the challenges imposed by the tropical climate, Sánchez-Quinto and colleagues were able to sequence 61 mitochondrial genomes of 83 molars of mammoth, dated between 13,000 and 16,000 years. The results were published on August 28 in the magazine *Science *.
The analysis revealed unexpected results. HealthyThe unexpected and inexplicable genetic mysteriesresume o .
Previous studies suggested that column mammoths descended from eurasian spare tire mammoth hybrids and north America migrated to eggplant.
However, the Mexican specimens presented distinct genetic signatures, indicating that they diverged from their northern relatives earlier than thought.
Eduardo Arrieta-Donato, co-author and researcher at UNAM, described the ancestor of Mexican mammoths as a “Bisavó-Bisavó-Bisavó” hybrid, isolated as their descendants migrated south.
This genetic uniqueness suggests a much more complex evolutionary history than imagined. Notably, similar disagreements were observed in other species of excavated pleistocenium in Mexico, including black bears and mastodons, suggesting that southern migration may have driven distinct genetic developments.
Experts praised the study for their technical merit and scientific implications. Love Dalen, professor of evolutionary genetics at the University of Stockholm, highlighted the difficulty of obtaining Pleistocenium samples’ DNA in tropical climates.
The study also demonstrates the capacity of laboratory in Mexico and the global south of conducting high level paleogenomic investigation, challenging the idea that DNA extraction in hot climates is almost impossible. Sánchez-Quinto emphasized the need to collect more samples in tropical regions to better understand biodiversity and evolutionary history of these species.
“Our results suggest that the Mexico preserves unique genetic strains”Said Sánchez-Quinto.” Investigating the reason for this will require continuous local investigation, fundamental to unraveling the biodiversity of the tropics over time. “
Thus, it indicates, this Mammoth DNA sequencing changes our vision on evolution.
