Ancient RNA expression profiles from the extinct woolly mammoth
Title (eng)
Ancient RNA expression profiles from the extinct woolly mammoth
Author
Emilio Mármol-Sánchez
Bastian Fromm
Nikolay Oskolkov
Zoé Pochon
Marianne Dehasque
Morteza Aslanzadeh
Katherine Brown
Tom van der Valk
Panagiotis Kalogeropoulos
J. Camilo Chacón-Duque
Inna Biryukova
Peter D. Heintzman
Cecilia Furugård
Valeri Plotnikov
Albert Protopopov
Björn Andersson
Erik Ersmark
Kevin J. Peterson
Marc R. Friedländer
Love Dalén
Abstract (eng)
Ancient DNA has revolutionized the study of extinct and extant organisms that lived up to 2 million years ago, enabling the reconstruction of genomes from multiple extinct species, as well as the ecosystems where they once thrived. However, current DNA sequencing techniques alone cannot directly provide insights into tissue identity, gene expression dynamics, or transcriptional regulation, as these are encoded in the RNA fraction. Here, we report transcriptional profiles from 10 Late Pleistocene woolly mammoths. One of these, dated to be ∼39,000 years old, yielded sufficient detail to recover tissue-specific regulatory mechanisms and biological functions essential for skeletal muscle metabolism, representing the oldest ancient RNA sequences recorded to date. We showcase the potential to study ancient RNA molecules beyond preconceived limitations, providing an analytical framework for validating and decoding preserved transcriptomes through time. With our findings, we anticipate the emergence of integrative paleo-studies combining genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics.
Keywords (eng)
Ancient RNAMammuthus PrimigeniusWoolly mammothAncient DNAPaleogenomicsGenesmicroRNAsPleistocene
Type (eng)
Language
[eng]
Persistent identifier
Is in series
Title (eng)
Cell
Volume
189
Issue
1
ISSN
0092-8674
Issued
2026
Number of pages
41
Publication
Elsevier
Version type (eng)
Date issued
2026
Access rights (eng)
License
Rights statement (eng)
© 2025 The Author(s)
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https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:4985 - Other links and identifiers
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- RightsLicenseRights statement© 2025 The Author(s)
- DetailsResource typeText (PDF)Formatapplication/pdfCreated11.03.2026 09:34:53 UTC
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