Scientists reconstruct chromosomes of a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth

Experts are a step closer to bringing the woolly mammoth back to life thanks to the first ever 3D reconstruction of chromosomes collected from ancient skin. Around 52,000 years ago, a woolly mammoth happened to be freeze-dried by the weather just after it died, preserving its DNA in a glass-like state. The unusually well-preserved specimen was excavated in northeastern Siberia in 2018, allowing a team of international scientists to analyse its skin tissue. Now, they have successfully assembled a detailed reconstruction of the extinct species' chromosomes – thread-like structures that...