World's oldest RNA extracted from woolly mammoth reveals ancient gene activity

Stockholm University researchers have isolated and sequenced RNA from Ice Age woolly mammoth tissue preserved in the Siberian permafrost for nearly 40,000 years. The Cell study demonstrates that RNA, like DNA and proteins, can survive long periods and reflect which genes were active in mammoth muscle at death. Analyzing Yuka, a juvenile mammoth, the team found tissue-specific gene expression patterns and regulatory RNAs, including microRNAs, that reveal real-time gene control in extinct megafauna. The work, conducted with SciLifeLab and the Center for Palaeogenetics, suggests ancient RNA sequencing can deepen our understanding of mammoth biology and may enable future studies of preserved RNA viruses and other biomolecules. Lead author Emilio Mármol and colleagues highlight future integration of RNA with DNA and proteins to reshape our view of extinct species.