First comprehensive analysis of the woolly mammoth genome completed

Study identifies extensive genetic changes responsible for adaptations to arctic life in woolly mammoths

University of Chicago/Kevin Jiang. The first comprehensive analysis of the woolly mammoth genome reveals extensive genetic changes that allowed mammoths to adapt to life in the arctic. Mammoth genes that differed from their counterparts in elephants played roles in skin and hair development, fat metabolism, insulin signaling and numerous other traits. Genes linked to physical traits such as skull shape, small ears and short tails were also identified. As a test of function, a mammoth gene involved in temperature sensation was resurrected in the laboratory and its protein product characterized.

The study, published in Cell Reports on July 2, sheds light on the evolutionary biology of these extinct giants.

"This is by far the most comprehensive study to look at the genetic changes that make a woolly mammoth a woolly mammoth," said study author Vincent Lynch, PhD, assistant professor of human genetics at the University of Chicago.[...] eurekalert.org

Video: What Genes Make a Woolly Mammoth a Woolly Mammoth? | EurekAlert! 

Entrada relacionada

Actualización 03-07-15: Primer análisis de los cambios genéticos que definieron al mamut
El primer análisis completo del genoma del mamut lanudo revela los cambios genéticos que permitieron a estos grandes mamíferos adaptarse a la vida en el ártico.

Los genes del mamut que diferían de sus contrapartes en los elefantes jugaron un papel en el desarollo de la piel y el pelo, el metabolismo de la grasa, la señalización de la insulina y muchos otros rasgos. Los genes ligados a rasgos físicos como la forma del cráneo también se identificaron con pequeñas orejas y cola cor ...