Ancient Microbial DNA Discovered in Mammoth Remains

Ancient Microbial DNA Discovered in Mammoth Remains
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In a groundbreaking discovery, an international team of scientists has found microbial DNA that is over a million years old in the remains of woolly and steppe mammoths. According to a report from SciTechDaily, this research provides a unique glimpse into ancient host-microbe interactions and represents some of the oldest microbial DNA ever found.

The researchers, led by a team at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, analyzed microbial DNA from 483 mammoth specimens, including a steppe mammoth from 1.1 million years ago. Using advanced genomic methods, the team was able to differentiate between microbes that were part of the living mammoths’ microbiomes and those that colonized the remains after death.

The study identified six microbial lineages, including a Pasteurella-like bacterium similar to a pathogen found in modern African elephants, which suggests that mammoths may have been susceptible to similar infections. The successful reconstruction of a portion of the genome of Erysipelothrix from the 1.1-million-year-old mammoth is a key achievement, as it is the oldest host-associated microbial DNA ever retrieved. This work opens a new window into understanding the biology of extinct species and the role of microbes in ancient ecosystems.