Woolly Rhinoceros Genome Sequenced from Wolf

Researchers, led by Solveig Gudjonsdottir and Love Dalén, have successfully extracted and sequenced the genome of a woolly rhinoceros from undigested meat found in the stomach of a 14,400-year-old wolf puppy discovered in Siberian permafrost. This groundbreaking achievement, detailed in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, provides crucial insights into the extinction of the woolly rhinoceros. By comparing this genome with older samples, the study revealed that the species remained genetically healthy until the end of the Ice Age, showing no signs of inbreeding, which suggests a rapid population collapse rather than a gradual decline. The scientists attribute the extinction primarily to rapid climate warming around 14,000 years ago, which destroyed their steppe-tundra habitat, rather than widespread human hunting. This research, a collaboration involving Stockholm University, the Swedish Museum of Natural History, and the Centre for Palaeogenetics, marks a significant advancement in paleogenomics and offers potential lessons for modern species facing climate change-driven extinction.