Shutterstock
Mammoths are one of the most famous ancient animals, right up there with dinosaurs. This ancient mammal has been extinct for some time, but thanks to the finding of many different fossils, it is well-known in the scientific community.
When most people think of mammoths, they picture them as large elephant-like creatures with heavy coats of hair, which is generally pretty accurate. With those heavy coats of hair, it is expected that they would live in cooler climates, which is also basically right.
So, in 2019 when massive prehistoric bones were found by construction workers digging to prepare for a new airport, most people wouldn’t have expected them to belong to a mammoth. Archaeologists went to the site and spent years digging up more and more fossils, coming up with enough bones to make up at least 200 mammoths.
Shutterstock
These specific mammoths are called Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi). The researchers were especially happy with these finds because their DNA was surprisingly well-preserved for such a warm climate.
With these new samples, the scientists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico were able to take a better look at the DNA than ever before. They also compared them to 73 Columbian mammoth specimens that came from Santa Lucia, and 10 from Tultepec.
All of these were compared with the previously studied DNA of mammoths from further north, and in a study published in the journal Science, the researchers pointed out a ‘deep genetic divergence’ that occurred between 416,000 and 307,000 years ago.
The genetic difference only grew over thousands of years as the two groups had virtually no contact. Adrian Lister is a paleobiologist at the Natural History Museum in London. He was not involved in the study, but he talked with Science about it, saying:
“Should we really be calling it a Columbian mammoth? [Or] give it a new name—a Mexican mammoth?”
Shutterstock
Determining when a group of animal should be classified as its own species can be difficult, especially when dealing with creatures that have long since gone extinct. These types of studies often prompt the first stages of discussion that can help to lead experts down the path of segmenting off a group into its own species.
Of course, additional study will be needed to determine just how genetically distinct each group is to determine whether it warrants a change or not.
If you think that’s impressive, check out this story about a “goldmine” of lithium that was found in the U.S. that could completely change the EV battery game.