Genetically Central American mammoths were strange

This has led to Mexican-European research cooperation to interest the search for DNA from other Columbian mammoth countries that spread to Central America. Researchers focused on the Mexico pool, which is south of where any wool mammoth was probably found. Despite the fact that the warmer terrain tends to worsen DNA faster, the team had several things that worked in their favor. For starters there were many bones. The Mexico Basin has increased strongly over the centuries, and many mammoth residues have been found, including more than 100 people during the construction of the Mexico International Airport.

In addition, the team focused fully on the mitochondrial genome. Unlike two sets of chromosomes in each cell, a typical cell can have hundreds of mitochondria, each of which could have dozens of copies of its genome. Therefore, although much smaller mitochondria does not give so many details about origin, they will at least survive at high enough levels to provide something for work.

And they really did. In total, the researchers have received 61 new mitochondrial genomes of Mexico mammoths of the 83 samples they protested. Of these, 28 were considered a sufficiently high quality for analysis.

Disabled alone

By creating a family tree, using these genetic data, as well as from other Columbian and wool mammoth samples, researchers can potentially identify how different populations are associated. And one became very clear almost immediately: they were in a very strange place on this tree.

To begin with, they all united in one block, although there were three clear groups in this block. But the placement of this block within a larger family tree was noticeably strange. To begin with on both sides, it was wool mammoths, which suggests that the line is the revival of wool mammoths. It would make sense if all the Columbian mammoths gathered with the Mexican. But they don’t. Some Colombian mammoths with much further in the north are actually closely related to wool mammoths than Mexican mammoths.