Ice Age Secrets Revealed: Woolly Rhino's Last Meal & Rapid Extinction

Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery from the remains of a wolf puppy found in Siberia, which had eaten woolly rhinoceros meat before dying. The extracted rhino genome provides crucial insights into the woolly rhinoceros species and its extinction at the end of the Ice Age due to climate change.

A remarkable discovery has been made regarding a wolf puppy, dating back approximately 14,400 years, whose last feast was on the meat of a woolly rhinoceros. Found in Siberia's permafrost near Tumat, researchers extracted DNA from undigested meat in the puppy's stomach, unveiling key insights into the fate of woolly rhinoceroses.

This new genome, juxtaposed with two earlier rhino specimens, reveals that while genetically robust until the end of the Ice Age, the rhinoceros species likely faced rapid extinction due to climate warming. Researchers, led by Solveig Gudjonsdottir and Love Dalén, confirmed these findings in Genome Biology and Evolution, a scholarly journal.

The study underscores that despite human presence, climate change was the primary driver of extinction. The woolly rhinoceros's demise reflects broader patterns faced by several large mammals during that period. The research not only expands our understanding of Ice Age extinctions but also highlights the impact of environmental changes on species survival.

(With inputs from agencies.)