First-ever fossilised ancient chromosomes discovered in 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth skin
In a first of its kind, fossil chromosomes have been discovered in a piece of woolly mammoth skin that was excavated from the Siberian permafrost, according to a recent study. The 52,000-year-old remains were discovered in 2018 close to the northeastern Siberian settlement of Belaya Gora. The chromosomes, which are small thread-like structures that contain genetic material, or DNA, were preserved in perfect detail by the cold temperatures in this area. Although samples of ancient DNA have been discovered previously, they are usually very fragmented and only contain a few hundred letters of genetic code. Millions of chromosomes can be found in fossils, providing a significantly more comprehensive image of an animal's genetic makeup. Erez Lieberman Aiden, a professor of molecular and human genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine and co-corresponding author of the study published on Thursday in the journal Cell, stated, "Fossil chromosomes have never been found before."