Woolly mammoths and Neanderthals may have common genetic traits

A new study from Tel Aviv University suggests that the genetic profiles of two extinct mammals of African descent – the wooly mammoths, elephant-like animals that developed in the Arctic Peninsula in the late 1970s. Eurasia about 600,000 years ago, and Neanderthals, highly skilled men at the beginning of their history and evolving in Europe about 400,000 years ago – common molecular features of adaptation to cold environments.

The research attributes the Pleistocene man-elephant relationship to their mutual ecology and shared living environments, in addition to other possible interactions between the two species. The study was led by Professors Ran Barkai and Meidad Kislev from the Department of Archeology and Ancient Cultures of the Near East of TAU. It was published on April 8 in Human biology.

"Neanderthals and mammoths lived together in Europe during the Ice Age, and evidence suggests that Neanderthals hunted and ate mammoths for tens of thousands of years and were physically dependent on the calories extracted from mammoths for successful adaptation." explains Professor Barkai. "Neanderthals depended on mammoths for their very existence.

"They say you are what you eat." This was especially true for Neanderthals, they ate mammoths but were apparently genetically similar to mammoths as well. "

To assess the degree of similarity between mammoth and Neanderthal genetic components, archaeologists have examined three case studies of gene variants and relevant alleles, alternative forms of a gene that develop by mutation and are found in the same place on a chromosome, associated with the cold. adaptation to climate found in the genomes of woolly mammoths and Neanderthals.

The first case study highlighted the mutual appearance of the LEPR gene, related to the thermogenesis and regulation of adipose tissue and fat storage throughout the body. The second case study involved genes related to the activity of keratin proteins in both species. The third case study looked at skin and hair pigmentation variants in the MC1R and SLC7A11 genes.

"Our observations present the risk of resemblance between many molecular variants that have led to similar cold-adapted epigenetic characters in two species, both of which evolved in Eurasia from an African ancestor," Kislev explains. "These remarkable discoveries provide evidence to support the controversy over the nature of convergent evolution by molecular resemblance, in which similarities in genetic variants between adapted species are present.

"We believe that these types of relationships can be valuable for future evolutionary research.They are particularly interesting when they involve other mammals with large brains, with a long lifespan, complex social behavior and their interactions. in habitats shared with primitive humans. "

According to the study, both species probably came from ancestors originally from Africa, came from Europe and adapted to the conditions of life in glacial Europe. Both species also disappeared more or less at the same time.

"It is now possible to try to answer a question that no one had asked before: are there genetic similarities between the evolutionary adaptation pathways in Neanderthals and Mammoths? " Said Professor Barkai. "The answer seems to be yes – this one idea opens endless avenues for further research on evolution, archeology and other disciplines.

"At a time when proboscidians are in danger of disappearing from the world because of greedy human greed for ivory, it might be interesting to highlight our common history and our similarities to elephants and mammoths."