Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fossils of Ancient Chromosomes with intact 3D Structure of Extinct Woolly Mammoth  

Fossils of ancient chromosomes with intact three-dimensional structure belonging to extinct woolly mammoth have been discovered from 52,000 old sample preserved in Siberian permafrost. This is the first case of fully preserved ancient chromosome. Study of fossil chromosomes can shed light on the history of life on Earth. 

Fossils of ancient chromosomes have been discovered from the skin of a 52,000 years old woolly mammoth remains found in Siberian permafrost in 2018. Woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is an extinct species. Their closest living relatives are modern elephant.  

The fossil chromosome showed remarkable similarity with the modern chromosomes. The fossil had same 28 pairs of chromosomes as in the closest living relative. The shape of the fossil chromosomes displayed chromosome compartmentalization, i.e., separation of the active and inactive regions of the genome. Therefore, the researchers could identify active genes in the woolly mammoth. The fossil chromosomes had the entire 3D arrangement of DNA intact down to the nm (10-9) scale. Tiny chromatin loops which measure about 50 nm and play an important role in activation of sequences were observed in the fossil chromosomes. 

The source animal of the fossil had died 52,000 years ago. The DNA segments in the fossil chromosomes remained unchanged and intact with their three-dimensional structures for such a long time because the animal remains had undergone glass transition through natural freeze-drying process and had remained in glass-like rigid state that forbade movement of fragments or particles in the sample. 

This is first case of discovery of fully preserved fossil chromosomes and is significant because study of fossil chromosomes can shed light on the history of life on Earth. Ancient DNA research has limitation because aDNA fragments isolated from the archaeological samples are seldom longer than 100 base pairs. On the other hand, fossil chromosomes offer opportunity to study entire DNA sequence of an organism. Knowledge of complete genome and three-dimensional structure of chromosomes can also enable re-creation of entire DNA segment of an extinct organism.  

*** 

References  

  1. Sandoval-Velasco, M. et al. 2024. Three-dimensional genome architecture persists in a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin sample. Cell. Volume 187, Issue 14, p3541-3562.E51. 11 July 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.06.002  

*** 

SCIEU Team
SCIEU Teamhttps://www.scientificeuropean.co.uk
Scientific European® | SCIEU.com | Significant advances in science. Impact on humankind. Inspiring minds.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

Most Popular Articles

Is ‘Nuclear Battery’ coming of age?

Betavolt Technology, a Beijing based company has announced miniaturization...

Mass Extinctions in the history of Life: Significance of NASA’s Artemis Moon and Planetary...

Evolution and extinction of new species have gone hand...

UK’s Fusion Energy Programme: Concept Design for the STEP Prototype Power plant Unveiled 

UK’s fusion energy production approach took shape with the...
- Advertisement -
93,063FansLike
47,291FollowersFollow
1,772FollowersFollow
30SubscribersSubscribe