युवा आवेग

Scientists discovered no proof of substantial inbreeding or loss of genetic variation preceding the extinction of the species by comparing the recently acquired genome with those of woolly rhino fossils dated to between 18,000 and 49,000 years ago. In contrast to forecasts that expected a long-term population decline, this implies that the woolly rhinoceros population was genetically healthy until very close to extinction.

Rather, the new genetic data lends credence to the theory that the woolly rhino's quick demise was caused by sudden changes in the climate at the end of the last Ice Age, especially during the Bølling–Allerød interstadial warming episode. Instead of progressively disappearing, the species may have declined quickly when temperatures rose and its cold-adapted steppe-tundra habitat vanished.

In addition to shedding light on the end of one of the last Ice Age giants, this groundbreaking study demonstrates how ancient DNA may be recovered from uncommon sources, providing new insights into the lives—and deaths—of extinct creatures.