Scientists have successfully sequenced the RNA of a 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth, known as Yuka, which was frozen in the Siberian permafrost. The achievement is significant because it shows that scientists can recover and analyze RNA from extremely old specimens, providing new insights into ancient biology.
The study used special techniques to extract and analyze the RNA fragments from Yuka's tissue, which were previously thought to be too fragile to survive even a few hours after an organism died. However, the process of freezing in permafrost halted the degradation of RNA, allowing researchers to recover intact sequences.
Researchers say that this discovery opens up new avenues for studying extinct life forms and can provide clues about how certain viruses like influenza or coronavirus spread through ancient species. The method could also be used to study the evolution of currently endangered species.
The team led by Emilio Mármol, a researcher from Stockholm University, has successfully sequenced Yuka's RNA, revealing genetic information that provides new insights into its life and death. This breakthrough shows that scientists can recover and analyze ancient biological molecules, which were previously considered too fragile to survive for long periods of time.
Mármol hopes to apply this approach to the study of other extinct species such as Tasmanian tigers, woolly mammoths, and dodo birds. He also believes that this technique could provide new information about the biology of endangered species by analyzing ancient RNA molecules from their ancestors.
The study used special techniques to extract and analyze the RNA fragments from Yuka's tissue, which were previously thought to be too fragile to survive even a few hours after an organism died. However, the process of freezing in permafrost halted the degradation of RNA, allowing researchers to recover intact sequences.
Researchers say that this discovery opens up new avenues for studying extinct life forms and can provide clues about how certain viruses like influenza or coronavirus spread through ancient species. The method could also be used to study the evolution of currently endangered species.
The team led by Emilio Mármol, a researcher from Stockholm University, has successfully sequenced Yuka's RNA, revealing genetic information that provides new insights into its life and death. This breakthrough shows that scientists can recover and analyze ancient biological molecules, which were previously considered too fragile to survive for long periods of time.
Mármol hopes to apply this approach to the study of other extinct species such as Tasmanian tigers, woolly mammoths, and dodo birds. He also believes that this technique could provide new information about the biology of endangered species by analyzing ancient RNA molecules from their ancestors.
I'm literally amazed by this breakthrough! 
40k yrs old and still we can get info outta it? 
That's like, mind-blowing! 
Can't wait to see what they find about the influenza & coronavirus spread 
And the fact that this method could be used for endangered species is just WOW 
Fingers crossed they can apply this tech 2 those tigers, wolves and dodos too 
This changes everything! 
I don't know how they're gonna use this info on something real... like actual conservation efforts 
. It's all good for the labs, but what's in it for the wild? And what's next? Reviving 'em? That sounds like sci-fi movie stuff to me 
.
I mean, 40k years old and still got a decent genome 
, Yuka's like the grandpa of all mammoths! Who knew those frozen bodies in Siberia were just chillin' with intact RNA the whole time 
. Now scientists can finally ask their questions and get answers about how these ancient creatures lived and died 
, can't wait to see what other cool stuff comes from this 
OMG this is like totally mind-blowing! 40k yrs old woolly mammoth DNA? Like how did they even manage to get that outta the permafrost? I'm thinking it's gonna be a game-changer for studying ancient life forms and viruses too. Can u imagine what secrets are hiding in those frozen tissues? 
And it's not just about extinct species, either - this tech could give us new insights into endangered species too! Maybe we can even get some clues about how to save them. 
. I mean, 40k years old is like, ancient history! It's not like we're bringing back Yuka or anything (thankfully). What's the point of knowing what an ancient mammoth ate for breakfast if it's just gonna be a bunch of irrelevant info? And don't even get me started on those viruses - who cares about how they spread through ancient species? 
We've got enough problems with COVID-19 and its variants, I don't need to worry about what the flu did 40k years ago. This whole thing just seems like a big ol' ego trip for the scientists 
. Give me something practical and relevant that's actually gonna make a difference in people's lives...
I mean, what's next? Ancient human DNA analysis? That would be so cool, right? 
Like, we could learn so much more about how certain viruses spread through ancient species. The possibilities are endless! 
It makes me think about how much we still don't know about our own world... and the impact humans had on those ancient species. We're basically takin' DNA from a dead animal to learn more about life... it's wild, man.
We're talking 40k years of frozen DNA here, what's next? Opening up ancient graves for more "science"? It's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt over some lab experiment. And what about the ethics? They're basically playing God with this stuff...
and scientists can still get a piece of genetic info out of that old girl 
. I mean, think about it - we're basically playing archaeologist with DNA here. But what's really got me thinking is how this tech could be used on modern-day species that are already endangered. Are we gonna start analyzing ancient animal RNA to try and figure out why they went extinct? That sounds like a lot of info to sift through