Ancient Mammoth Microbes: Unveiling the Oldest Host-Associated Bacterial DNA скачать в хорошем качестве

Ancient Mammoth Microbes: Unveiling the Oldest Host-Associated Bacterial DNA

An international team has discovered the world's oldest microbial DNA preserved in mammoth remains, revealing ancient bacteria that may have caused disease in these extinct giants. The study, published in *Cell*, analyzes 483 mammoth specimens, including a 1.1-million-year-old steppe mammoth, to uncover microbial lineages coexisting with mammoths for millions of years. Findings suggest some microbes could be pathogenic, with ties to modern elephants, and push paleogenomics forward by providing insights into how ancient hosts interacted with their microbiomes. This breakthrough offers new perspectives on evolution, disease, and extinction in Pleistocene ecosystems.