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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America2009; 106(52); 22352-22357; doi: 10.1073/pnas.0912510106

Ancient DNA reveals late survival of mammoth and horse in interior Alaska.

Abstract: Causes of late Quaternary extinctions of large mammals ("megafauna") continue to be debated, especially for continental losses, because spatial and temporal patterns of extinction are poorly known. Accurate latest appearance dates (LADs) for such taxa are critical for interpreting the process of extinction. The extinction of woolly mammoth and horse in northwestern North America is currently placed at 15,000-13,000 calendar years before present (yr BP), based on LADs from dating surveys of macrofossils (bones and teeth). Advantages of using macrofossils to estimate when a species became extinct are offset, however, by the improbability of finding and dating the remains of the last-surviving members of populations that were restricted in numbers or confined to refugia. Here we report an alternative approach to detect 'ghost ranges' of dwindling populations, based on recovery of ancient DNA from perennially frozen and securely dated sediments (sedaDNA). In such contexts, sedaDNA can reveal the molecular presence of species that appear absent in the macrofossil record. We show that woolly mammoth and horse persisted in interior Alaska until at least 10,500 yr BP, several thousands of years later than indicated from macrofossil surveys. These results contradict claims that Holocene survival of mammoths in Beringia was restricted to ecologically isolated high-latitude islands. More importantly, our finding that mammoth and horse overlapped with humans for several millennia in the region where people initially entered the Americas challenges theories that megafaunal extinction occurred within centuries of human arrival or were due to an extraterrestrial impact in the late Pleistocene.
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Publication Date: 2009-12-17 PubMed ID: 20018740PubMed Central: PMC2795395DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0912510106Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research claims to provide new evidence about the survival of mammoth and horse in interior Alaska until at least 10,500 years ago. This is several thousands of years later than previously believed and challenges existing theories about the extinction of these species.

Background

  • The discussion of why large mammals, or megafauna, went extinct during the late Quaternary period (the last 2.6 million years) is ongoing, particularly for those on the continent where the timeframes of extinction are unclear.
  • Key to this debate are accurate latest appearance dates (LADs) of these animals, which can help interpret the process of extinction.
  • The presumed extinction of woolly mammoths and horses in Northwestern North America is currently thought to be between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago, based on LADs obtained from dated macrofossil surveys (bones and teeth).
  • However, the use of macrofossils to estimate extinction dates has drawbacks, such as the unlikely chance of finding and dating remains of the last survivors of a species, especially if they were few in number or confined to specific areas.

Methodology

  • The researchers report an alternative approach to detect the existence of dwindling populations, commonly known as ‘ghost ranges’.
  • They recovered ancient DNA from perennially frozen and securely dated sediments (sedaDNA), which can show the presence of species that may not appear in the macrofossil record.

Findings

  • The findings indicate that the woolly mammoth and horse survived in interior Alaska until at least 10,500 years ago. This is several thousand years later than the dates suggested by macrofossil surveys.
  • These results contradict the notion that the Holocene survival of mammoths in Beringia (the region around the Bering Strait, between Russia and America) was only possible on isolated high-latitude islands.
  • More significantly, the results also suggest that mammoths and horses coexisted with humans for many millennia in the areas where humans first entered the Americas, thereby challenging theories that megafauna went extinct shortly after human arrival or due to an extraterrestrial impact in the late Pleistocene.

Impact

  • This study offers new insights into the timeline of extinction for mammoths and horses and also reshapes understanding about the interaction and cohabitation of these species with early humans.
  • It also underscores the potential of using ancient DNA in ecological studies to reveal the molecular presence of species that might appear absent in the fossil record.

Cite This Article

APA
Haile J, Froese DG, Macphee RD, Roberts RG, Arnold LJ, Reyes AV, Rasmussen M, Nielsen R, Brook BW, Robinson S, Demuro M, Gilbert MT, Munch K, Austin JJ, Cooper A, Barnes I, Möller P, Willerslev E. (2009). Ancient DNA reveals late survival of mammoth and horse in interior Alaska. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 106(52), 22352-22357. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912510106

Publication

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
ISSN: 1091-6490
NlmUniqueID: 7505876
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 106
Issue: 52
Pages: 22352-22357

Researcher Affiliations

Haile, James
  • Centre for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark.
Froese, Duane G
    Macphee, Ross D E
      Roberts, Richard G
        Arnold, Lee J
          Reyes, Alberto V
            Rasmussen, Morten
              Nielsen, Rasmus
                Brook, Barry W
                  Robinson, Simon
                    Demuro, Martina
                      Gilbert, M Thomas P
                        Munch, Kasper
                          Austin, Jeremy J
                            Cooper, Alan
                              Barnes, Ian
                                Möller, Per
                                  Willerslev, Eske

                                    MeSH Terms

                                    • Alaska
                                    • Animals
                                    • DNA / genetics
                                    • DNA / history
                                    • DNA / isolation & purification
                                    • Extinction, Biological
                                    • Fossils
                                    • Geologic Sediments / chemistry
                                    • History, Ancient
                                    • Horses / genetics
                                    • Humans
                                    • Mammoths / genetics
                                    • Models, Biological

                                    Conflict of Interest Statement

                                    The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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                                    This article has been cited 60 times.
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