Mammoth task brings ancient blood molecule back to life

摘要

Palaeobiology They might be extinct, but scien- tists have recreated mammoth haemoglobin using ancient DNA preserved in bones from specimens beteen 25,000 and 43,000 years old. The study re-vals evolution-ary adaptations that allowed the mammoth to cool down its extremities in harsh Arctic conditions to minimise heat loss. It uncovered three unusual changes in the protein sequence which allowed the mammoth's blood to deliver oxygen to cells at very low temperatures.