Woolly rhino DNA found inside Ice Age wolf, Cardiff researchers report

Researchers analysing a roughly 14,400‑year‑old wolf from Siberia recovered woolly rhinoceros DNA from preserved stomach tissue; genetic comparisons suggest the species remained genetically healthy until a rapid population collapse near its extinction.

Scientists report extracting woolly rhinoceros DNA from the stomach of a wolf dated to about 14,400 years ago. The wolf was found near the village of Tumat in Siberia and was examined by an international team that included Cardiff University researchers. The tissue fragment was identified during an autopsy and later confirmed as woolly rhino by genetic testing. The genome data are among the youngest for the species and provide new information about the timing of its disappearance. Key findings: - DNA taken from stomach tissue of a wolf dated to about 14,400 years ago was genetically identified as woolly rhinoceros. - The specimen is one of the youngest woolly rhino samples sequenced and initially caused confusion in the laboratory when first examined. - Researchers compared the new DNA with two older woolly rhino genomes (dating about 18,000 to 49,000 years) and found no increase in inbreeding or harmful mutations over time. - The team reported that the species appeared genetically healthy until shortly before it disappeared, which the authors say is consistent with a rapid population collapse and led some to suggest climate warming rather than human hunting as a likely driver. Summary: The discovery provides rare near‑endpoint genomic data for the woolly rhinoceros and supports a scenario of sudden population collapse rather than a long-term genetic decline. The authors described sequencing a whole genome from tissue found inside another animal as a first. Undetermined at this time.