According to a new study, the last woolly mammoth population vanished due to a sudden, random event 4,000 years ago. The genome analysis suggests that the mammoths did not go extinct for genetic reasons, as earlier believed.

Woolly mammoths lived across the frozen land of Europe, North America, and Asia. However, as the ice started to melt, the food they lived on became scarce which caused their population to shrink considerably.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/gray-whales-shrinking-in-size-along-the-pacific-northwest-coast-734650">Gray whales shrinking in size along the Pacific Northwest coast</a>

The last population of mammoths that traveled across the ice to Wrangel Island located in Russia, were cut off from the mainland about 10,000 years ago. According to the researchers, the small group on the island consisted of at least eight mammoths which grew to about 200-300. This population is known to survive 6,000 years more than the rest.

When compared with the mainland population, the island population shows evidence that suggests inbreeding and low genetic diversity. However, the mammoths only accumulated mildly harmful mutations, that were not adverse enough to lead to their extinction. The more harmful mutations were not viable and were discarded by the population over time.

“We can now confidently reject the idea that the population was simply too small and that they were doomed to go extinct for genetic reasons,” said senior author Love Dalén, an evolutionary geneticist at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, a collaboration between the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Stockholm University. “This means it was probably just some random event that killed them off, and if that random event hadn't happened, then we would still have mammoths today.”

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/jurassic-king-with-a-crown-scientists-discover-fancy-headgear-on-78-million-year-old-dinosaur-733808">Jurassic king with a crown? Scientists discover fancy headgear on 78-million-year-old dinosaur</a>

The mammoth genomes examined in this research did not include the last 300 years of their time on Earth. New fossils have been discovered by researchers and will be studied in future.

“What happened at the end is a bit of a mystery still—we don't know why they went extinct after having been more or less fine for 6,000 years, but we think it was something sudden,” said Dalén. “I would say there is still hope to figure out why they went extinct, but no promises.”

This study not only analyses how the woolly mammoths were killed but may also provide us insights into current endangered species and make informed strategies for their conservation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

According to a new study, the last woolly mammoth population vanished due to a sudden, random event 4,000 years ago. The genome analysis suggests that the mammoths did not go extinct for genetic reasons, as earlier believed.

According to a new study, the last woolly mammoth population vanished due to a sudden, random event 4,000 years ago. The genome analysis suggests that the mammoths did not go extinct for genetic reasons, as earlier believed. Woolly mammoths lived across the frozen land of Europe, North America, and Asia. However, as the ice started to melt, the food they lived on became scarce which caused their population to shrink considerably. Also Read | Gray whales shrinking in size along the Pacific Northwest coast The last population of mammoths that traveled across the ice to Wrangel Island located in Russia, were cut off from the mainland about 10,000 years ago. According to the researchers, the small group on the island consisted of at least eight mammoths which grew to about 200-300. This population is known to survive 6,000 years more than the rest. When compared with the mainland population, the island population shows evidence that suggests inbreeding and low genetic diversity. However, the mammoths only accumulated mildly harmful mutations, that were not adverse enough to lead to their extinction. The more harmful mutations were not viable and were discarded by the population over time. “We can now confidently reject the idea that the population was simply too small and that they were doomed to go extinct for genetic reasons,” said senior author Love Dalén, an evolutionary geneticist at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, a collaboration between the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Stockholm University. “This means it was probably just some random event that killed them off, and if that random event hadn't happened, then we would still have mammoths today.” Also Read | Jurassic king with a crown? Scientists discover fancy headgear on 78-million-year-old dinosaur The mammoth genomes examined in this research did not include the last 300 years of their time on Earth. New fossils have been discovered by researchers and will be studied in future. “What happened at the end is a bit of a mystery still—we don't know why they went extinct after having been more or less fine for 6,000 years, but we think it was something sudden,” said Dalén. “I would say there is still hope to figure out why they went extinct, but no promises.” This study not only analyses how the woolly mammoths were killed but may also provide us insights into current endangered species and make informed strategies for their conservation. (With inputs from agencies)

Mysterious event led to the woolly mammoths perishing from Earth: Study

A man in the US state of Florida has discovered a huge fossilised jawbone of a mammoth, believed to be at least 10,000 years old. John Kreatsoulas, a self-proclaimed fossil junkie made the discovery while diving in the alligator-infested waters of the Peace River, near the city of Arcadia.&nbsp;

Kreatsoulas, who runs Fossil Junkies Dig and Dive Charters, an organisation specialising in hosting fossil-hunting trips, made the discovery of the lifetime by innocuously stumbling upon the item, which he initially thought was a log.&nbsp;However, upon closer inspection, he realised it was a&nbsp;mandible.

"I grabbed onto it just to hold on for a second, and I realised,&nbsp;'wait for a second, that's not a tree, that was a mammoth jaw,'"&nbsp;Kreatsoulas was quoted as saying by NBC2.&nbsp;

Kreatsoulas explained that he only dives in the alligator-filled river in the wintertime when the gators are dormant. Moreover, it was tenacity that led to the discovery as a day earlier, one of&nbsp;Kreatsoulas' friends&nbsp;had to pull him out of the river after spotting an alligator nearby.&nbsp;

“So I went up to the surface, and when I got back up there, he said, ‘You didn’t see that big gator?’ I said, ‘No, I wasn’t looking for gators, I was looking for fossils!” said&nbsp;Kreatsoulas.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aliens-mysterious-non-human-like-fossils-revealed-in-mexico-635619">Watch | Aliens? Mysterious non-human-like fossils revealed in Mexico</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aliens-mysterious-non-human-like-fossils-revealed-in-mexico-635619/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Explaining his fascination with the remnants of the past, Kreatsoulas added:&nbsp;“As a kid, my grandmother took me to the library, and they had a little fossil dig. There was a little shark’s teeth in a gravel box kit, and I was hooked."

Kreatsoulas will be taking his discovery to&nbsp;Ancient Artworks in Tampa where the jaw will be restored by adding the molars back onto it. He will also register the fossil with the state of Florida with the officials having the decisive say in if he can keep the discovery.&nbsp;

<h2>What kind of mammoth?</h2>

While it is unknown at this stage what kind of mammoth species head&nbsp;Kreatsoulas stumbled upon, experts argue that it could belong to&nbsp;Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) who inhabited North America during the&nbsp;Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million years to 11,700 years ago).&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/woolly-mammoth-went-extinct-4000-years-ago-heres-how-a-us-startup-plans-to-revive-them-617737">Also read |&nbsp;Woolly mammoth went extinct 4,000 years ago. Here's how a US startup plans to revive them</a>

Apart from North America, the Columbian mammoths were also found in Costa Rica. They were likely a hybrid between&nbsp;woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and an unknown lineage of mammoth after arriving on the continent from Siberia around 1.5 million years ago.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A man in the US state of Florida has discovered a huge fossilised jawbone of a mammoth, believed to be at least 10,000 years old. John Kreatsoulas, a self-proclaimed fossil junkie made the discovery while diving in the alligator-infested waters of the Peace River, near the city of Arcadia.

A man in the US state of Florida has discovered a huge fossilised jawbone of a mammoth, believed to be at least 10,000 years old. John Kreatsoulas, a self-proclaimed fossil junkie made the discovery while diving in the alligator-infested waters of the Peace River, near the city of Arcadia. Kreatsoulas, who runs Fossil Junkies Dig and Dive Charters, an organisation specialising in hosting fossil-hunting trips, made the discovery of the lifetime by innocuously stumbling upon the item, which he initially thought was a log. However, upon closer inspection, he realised it was a mandible. "I grabbed onto it just to hold on for a second, and I realised, 'wait for a second, that's not a tree, that was a mammoth jaw,'" Kreatsoulas was quoted as saying by NBC2. Kreatsoulas explained that he only dives in the alligator-filled river in the wintertime when the gators are dormant. Moreover, it was tenacity that led to the discovery as a day earlier, one of Kreatsoulas' friends had to pull him out of the river after spotting an alligator nearby. “So I went up to the surface, and when I got back up there, he said, ‘You didn’t see that big gator?’ I said, ‘No, I wasn’t looking for gators, I was looking for fossils!” said Kreatsoulas. Watch | Aliens? Mysterious non-human-like fossils revealed in Mexico × Explaining his fascination with the remnants of the past, Kreatsoulas added: “As a kid, my grandmother took me to the library, and they had a little fossil dig. There was a little shark’s teeth in a gravel box kit, and I was hooked." Kreatsoulas will be taking his discovery to Ancient Artworks in Tampa where the jaw will be restored by adding the molars back onto it. He will also register the fossil with the state of Florida with the officials having the decisive say in if he can keep the discovery. What kind of mammoth? While it is unknown at this stage what kind of mammoth species head Kreatsoulas stumbled upon, experts argue that it could belong to Columbian mammoths (Mammuthus columbi) who inhabited North America during the Pleistocene epoch (2.6 million years to 11,700 years ago). Also read | Woolly mammoth went extinct 4,000 years ago. Here's how a US startup plans to revive them Apart from North America, the Columbian mammoths were also found in Costa Rica. They were likely a hybrid between woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and an unknown lineage of mammoth after arriving on the continent from Siberia around 1.5 million years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

Fossilised jawbone of a mammoth dating back 10,000 years found in Florida

In what can be described as a miraculous discovery,&nbsp;Russian scientists have discovered a 39,000-year-old perfectly preserved cave bear and cub in Siberia.

Cave bears were&nbsp;prehistoric species or subspecies that lived in Eurasia from around 300,000 to 15,000 years ago. Up until now, only bones had been found of the bears.

However, now, the cave bear's remains that have been found has all its internal organs intact. Earlier, only bones and skull were found. The photographs also show the bear's nose and teeth are intact.

The discovery has been applauded by the experts and is being considered as a huge step towards Russian scientists' mission of rediscovering and bringing back the extinct species of the Ice Age.

"Today this is the first and only find of its kind — a whole bear carcass with soft tissues,"&nbsp;Scientist Dr Lena Grigorieva told the media.

The remains, which were found by reindeer herders on a remote island, will be analysed by expert scientists at the&nbsp;Russia's North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk. The researchers at NEFU are leading the research of bringing back the extinct species of woolly mammoths and rhinos.

Scietists from all over the world will be invited to take part in this research, with NEFu holding the lead role.&nbsp;"It is necessary to carry out radiocarbon analysis to determine the precise age of the bear," said Dr Maxim Cheprasov, senior researcher, candidate of biological sciences at the Mammoth Museum laboratory in Yakutsk.

The city of&nbsp;Yakutsk is believed to be the coldest city in the world.

Researchers will be releasing more investigation about this remarkable discovery soon.

In what can be described as a miraculous discovery, Russian scientists have discovered a 39,000-year-old perfectly preserved cave bear and cub in Siberia. Cave bears were prehistoric species or subspecies that lived in Eurasia from around 300,000 to 15,000 years ago.

In what can be described as a miraculous discovery, Russian scientists have discovered a 39,000-year-old perfectly preserved cave bear and cub in Siberia. Cave bears were prehistoric species or subspecies that lived in Eurasia from around 300,000 to 15,000 years ago. Up until now, only bones had been found of the bears. However, now, the cave bear's remains that have been found has all its internal organs intact. Earlier, only bones and skull were found. The photographs also show the bear's nose and teeth are intact. The discovery has been applauded by the experts and is being considered as a huge step towards Russian scientists' mission of rediscovering and bringing back the extinct species of the Ice Age. "Today this is the first and only find of its kind — a whole bear carcass with soft tissues," Scientist Dr Lena Grigorieva told the media. The remains, which were found by reindeer herders on a remote island, will be analysed by expert scientists at the Russia's North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU) in Yakutsk. The researchers at NEFU are leading the research of bringing back the extinct species of woolly mammoths and rhinos. Scietists from all over the world will be invited to take part in this research, with NEFu holding the lead role. "It is necessary to carry out radiocarbon analysis to determine the precise age of the bear," said Dr Maxim Cheprasov, senior researcher, candidate of biological sciences at the Mammoth Museum laboratory in Yakutsk. The city of Yakutsk is believed to be the coldest city in the world. Researchers will be releasing more investigation about this remarkable discovery soon.

Russia: 39,000-year-old cave bear's remains found intact in Siberia

Russian scientists have managed to recover around 80 per cent&nbsp;of the stunningly well-preserved bones of a woolly&nbsp;mammoth&nbsp;that roamed the earth at least 10,000 years ago, director of the Centre for Arctic Research Dmitry Frolov told Reuters on Monday.

Part of its skull, several ribs and foreleg bones, some with soft tissue still attached to them, were retrieved from Russia's remote Yamal peninsula above the Arctic circle in July by local residents.

Researchers have still not recovered the tusks, which might have been lost for a long time, Frolov said.

<img alt="Russia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e546f1b0-b107-497f-a7dd-465f9de5f3c5" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/1800.jpg" />

The newly discovered skeleton was found on the Yamal peninsula, in Siberia, Russia. Photograph: Dmitrii Frolov

Similar finds in Russia's vast Siberian region have happened with increasing regularity as climate change warming the Arctic at a faster pace than the rest of the world has thawed the ground in some areas long locked in permafrost.

Scientists circulated images in December of a prehistoric puppy, thought to be 18,000 years old, that was found in the permafrost region of Russia's Far East in 2018.

The&nbsp;mammoth&nbsp;remains are at least 10,000 years old, although researchers don't yet know exactly when it walked the earth or how old it was when it died, said Dmitry Frolov, director of the Scientific Centre for Arctic studies.

Russian scientists have managed to recover around 80 per cent of the stunningly well-preserved bones of a woolly mammoth that roamed the earth at least 10,000 years ago, director of the Centre for Arctic Research Dmitry Frolov told Reuters on Monday.

Russian scientists have managed to recover around 80 per cent of the stunningly well-preserved bones of a woolly mammoth that roamed the earth at least 10,000 years ago, director of the Centre for Arctic Research Dmitry Frolov told Reuters on Monday. Part of its skull, several ribs and foreleg bones, some with soft tissue still attached to them, were retrieved from Russia's remote Yamal peninsula above the Arctic circle in July by local residents. Researchers have still not recovered the tusks, which might have been lost for a long time, Frolov said. The newly discovered skeleton was found on the Yamal peninsula, in Siberia, Russia. Photograph: Dmitrii Frolov Similar finds in Russia's vast Siberian region have happened with increasing regularity as climate change warming the Arctic at a faster pace than the rest of the world has thawed the ground in some areas long locked in permafrost. Scientists circulated images in December of a prehistoric puppy, thought to be 18,000 years old, that was found in the permafrost region of Russia's Far East in 2018. The mammoth remains are at least 10,000 years old, although researchers don't yet know exactly when it walked the earth or how old it was when it died, said Dmitry Frolov, director of the Scientific Centre for Arctic studies.

Remains of 10,000-year-old woolly mammoth pulled from Siberian lake

Archaeologists near Mexico City are unearthing the remains of some 60 mammoths, according to officials from Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

Archaeologists discover remains of some 60 mammoths near Mexico City