Mammoths are malformed when near extinction

While studying the collection of twisted feather mammoth fossils in several European museums, experts discovered they often had birth defects when near extinction.

>>>New achievements in the process of cloning prehistoric mammoths

According to the PeerJ report, specimens show that the status of hereditary neck rib syndrome appears more frequently in prehistoric giants than today's elephants and similar organisms.

The specimens of hairy mammoths in the North Sea show abnormalities in the neck ribs - (Photo: PeerJ)

Neck ribs , a rib that sticks to the neck bone, is not a life-threatening syndrome.

However, the presence of this condition in mammoths is very unusual, and according to experts, this is a sign that there are certain genetic or environmental factors that affect the Fetal development stage of extinct organisms.

That is why biologists frequently associate neck ribs with genetic defects and premature deaths.

Therefore, researchers from the Rotterdam Museum of Natural History and the Center for Biodiversity in Leiden (Netherlands) argue that the situation in twisted fur mammoths is partly responsible for the reduction. strong growth in their community about 10,000 years ago.

Specifically, abnormal signs of neck ribs were detected in 33% of specimens.