Famous Siberian cave yields remains of yak-like Ice Age mammal
Researchers have identified a previously unknown extinct mammal species related to the modern yak using DNA extracted from bone fragments found in Siberia's Denisova Cave. The discovery highlights the power of ancient DNA analysis to identify species that are otherwise indistinguishable by physical appearance alone.
Why it matters
This study demonstrates how advanced genetic sequencing can reconstruct evolutionary history from highly fragmented archaeological remains, providing new insights into Ice Age biodiversity.
A yak grazes on a grass patch some 3,000 metres (9,842 feet) above sea level in the mountains outside Almaty November 1, 2009. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo
Listen Oct 19 - A Siberian cave already famous for yielding the first remains of an extinct human lineage called the Denisovans, who once roamed widely in Eurasia, has now produced evidence of a previously unknown large Ice Age mammal closely related to today's yak.
Researchers said they discovered small bone fragments of the animal in Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia in Russia, and obtained DNA that showed these remains belonged to a bovine species distinct from others already known, living and extinct.
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