Blog 13

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/may/02/woolly-mammoth-antifreeze-blood


What if we can prove another piece in the science of evolution? In a recent study by a group of scientists led by Kevin Campbell, a paleobiologist, evidence of a blood adaptation was found in wooly mammoths. The study was conducted on a wooly mammoth that was 43,000 years old. The team extracted DNA from the animal's remains. These great, big animals existed in the harshest weather. They lived in sub-zero climates. They lived during the Ice Age when climate changes were spread globally. How could they have survived in sub-zero climates? The team set out to answer this question when they began the study. The DNA remains were processed, and the answer was found in the wooly mammoth's blood. The animal's haemoglobin had adapted genetically to the harsh climates and resist heat loss. The wooly mammoth had already undergone evolutionary transformations in the size of their small ears and small tails; but their haemoglobin allowed their bodies to function. The team also conducted another study in which they compared the DNA of modern elephants to that of their ancestor. The study shows that the modern day elephant and the wooly mammoth's genetics are not too different. The protein of the wooly mammoth was slightly different. The research proved that the wooly mammoth's haemoglobin burned less energy than the modern elephant. The oxygen could be carried throughout the body with very little energy. The less energy it used the less heat the animal lost. This was an efficient evolutionary adaptation. The study proves that without this genetic change, the wooly mammoth probably would not have survived at all. The research that has been done has also led to other studies in other animals. Scientists are looking for more "antifreeze systems" in animals that have adapted genetically. These studies will greatly impact science and evolutionary research.