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Famous Siberian cave yields remains of yak-like Ice Age mammal
Ancient DNA from 20 bone fragments links the animal to modern yaks and suggests the lineage survived until about 27,000 years ago.
- On Oct 19, researchers reported discovering a previously unknown Ice Age mammal species, dubbed Yak X, in Siberia's Denisova Cave, with genetic analysis showing its lineage diverged from modern yak ancestors approximately 400,000 years ago.
- Scientists studied 20 bone fragments from Denisova Cave and 6 from other Siberian sites, with specimens dating from about 250,000 to 200,000 years ago through about 27,000 years ago. The fragmentary nature of the remains made identification challenging without genetic analysis.
- "It is unusual, especially to recognize a large mammal species from small, unidentifiable fragments," said evolutionary geneticist Love Dalén of the Centre for Palaeogenetics. Researchers generated 20 ancient genomes from the bones, revealing this unique species.
- Evidence indicates Yak X lived alongside Denisovans during the Ice Age, with Love Dalén noting, "It seems reasonable that Yak X was on the Denisovan menu." The discovery reveals the extinct human lineage's dietary range in Siberia.
- Using a 200,000-year sampling span, postdoctoral researcher Jonas Oppenheimer determined the species likely faced population decline during warming around 120,000 years ago and went extinct sometime after 27,000 years ago. The finding deepens understanding of Ice Age mammal diversity.
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Famous Siberian cave yields remains of yak-like Ice Age mammal
·London, United Kingdom
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A cave in Siberia, already known for the discovery of the first remains of the Denisovan people who once spread across much of Eurasia, has now brought to light evidence of… The famous cave where the Denisovan people lived hid an unknown Ice Age bovine - ΙΝΑΤΕΜΒΟΡΙΚΙ
Swedish researchers found bone remains of a hitherto unknown species of yak in a Russian cave. A yak is a long-haired type of cattle. The species lived in the same area as woolly mammoths and rhinos during the Ice Age.
·Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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A cave in Siberia, already famous for having revealed the first traces of a lineage ...
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