Woolly Rhino's Genetic Diversity Originated in Warmer Regions
A new study of fossils from across Eurasia has found that most of the woolly rhino's genetic variety arose in milder East Asia and the Altai rather than Siberia. This contradicts the conventional wisdom that the species evolved in cold, northern regions.
The research team, led by Xiao-Le Lei of Peking University and Jiaoyang Ruan of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, analyzed DNA from 183 fossils and found that four maternal lineages existed across the continent. Two were common in East Asia and northeastern Siberia, while the other two were found in the Altai and Europe.
The team's estimate suggests that all four lineages trace back to a single ancestor around 464,000 years ago. The date overlaps with a transition from a glacial period into a warm one, which may have led to the fragmentation of habitats across Eurasia.
The study also found evidence of interbreeding between the woolly rhino and its closest living relative, Merck's rhinoceros. The signal of Merck's DNA was strongest in northeastern Siberian woolly rhinos, but it was also present in East Asian animals.