Deon de Jager
@ddj-sa.bsky.social
Postdoc at Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen | Wildlife genetics | Ancient DNA | Conservation | Birding | Sport. He/him. Opinions my own.
This is because the number of differences in the divergent mitogenome and other extant buffalo is huge & we date the divergence to approx. 2.5 million years ago. Both indicating it potentially came from interbreeding with another species. #phylogenetics #introgression
February 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
This is because the number of differences in the divergent mitogenome and other extant buffalo is huge & we date the divergence to approx. 2.5 million years ago. Both indicating it potentially came from interbreeding with another species. #phylogenetics #introgression
It doesn't look like the divergent mitogenome came from any other extant buffalo population, so we think it is the result of breeding between ancient populations of African buffalo and one of two extinct species - the giant long-horned buffalo (Syncerus antiquus) or S. acoelotus. #palaeosky
February 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
It doesn't look like the divergent mitogenome came from any other extant buffalo population, so we think it is the result of breeding between ancient populations of African buffalo and one of two extinct species - the giant long-horned buffalo (Syncerus antiquus) or S. acoelotus. #palaeosky
And finally, did the male and female mammoths eat different things?
A: Stable carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopes says no. But that's an interesting finding in itself, as this comparison hasn't really been made before!
A: Stable carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopes says no. But that's an interesting finding in itself, as this comparison hasn't really been made before!
December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM
And finally, did the male and female mammoths eat different things?
A: Stable carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopes says no. But that's an interesting finding in itself, as this comparison hasn't really been made before!
A: Stable carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 isotopes says no. But that's an interesting finding in itself, as this comparison hasn't really been made before!
Where did the mammoths come from?
A: Turns out they fall into two mitochondrial clades that were present in the region of the site. So they were locally sourced - makes sense. But this also tells us that they were from different matrilines & not all from the same family groups or their descendents.
A: Turns out they fall into two mitochondrial clades that were present in the region of the site. So they were locally sourced - makes sense. But this also tells us that they were from different matrilines & not all from the same family groups or their descendents.
December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Where did the mammoths come from?
A: Turns out they fall into two mitochondrial clades that were present in the region of the site. So they were locally sourced - makes sense. But this also tells us that they were from different matrilines & not all from the same family groups or their descendents.
A: Turns out they fall into two mitochondrial clades that were present in the region of the site. So they were locally sourced - makes sense. But this also tells us that they were from different matrilines & not all from the same family groups or their descendents.
What is the sex ratio of mammoths in the structure? This was done using a mix of ancient DNA and paleoproteomic analyses.
A: Mostly females, meaning the bones were likely from mammoth herds, as opposed to individually-hunted lone males. A good way to get lots of bones, I guess!
A: Mostly females, meaning the bones were likely from mammoth herds, as opposed to individually-hunted lone males. A good way to get lots of bones, I guess!
December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM
What is the sex ratio of mammoths in the structure? This was done using a mix of ancient DNA and paleoproteomic analyses.
A: Mostly females, meaning the bones were likely from mammoth herds, as opposed to individually-hunted lone males. A good way to get lots of bones, I guess!
A: Mostly females, meaning the bones were likely from mammoth herds, as opposed to individually-hunted lone males. A good way to get lots of bones, I guess!
How old are they?
A: About 24,000 to 26,000 years old. Interestingly, the two oldest samples indicate that they were probably scavanged from long-dead individuals, since the human activity (fires, etc.) at the site is ~200-1,200 years younger than the oldest mammoth remains detected thus far.
A: About 24,000 to 26,000 years old. Interestingly, the two oldest samples indicate that they were probably scavanged from long-dead individuals, since the human activity (fires, etc.) at the site is ~200-1,200 years younger than the oldest mammoth remains detected thus far.
December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM
How old are they?
A: About 24,000 to 26,000 years old. Interestingly, the two oldest samples indicate that they were probably scavanged from long-dead individuals, since the human activity (fires, etc.) at the site is ~200-1,200 years younger than the oldest mammoth remains detected thus far.
A: About 24,000 to 26,000 years old. Interestingly, the two oldest samples indicate that they were probably scavanged from long-dead individuals, since the human activity (fires, etc.) at the site is ~200-1,200 years younger than the oldest mammoth remains detected thus far.
Basically, there are these big circular structures made of thousands of mammoth bones assembled by ancient humans, which is obviously super cool 🕶️ Photos: A. Dudin & E. Lorenzen. We used #ancientDNA, stable isotopes, paleoproteomics & radiocarbon dating to answer some Qs about the mammoths, like...
December 19, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Basically, there are these big circular structures made of thousands of mammoth bones assembled by ancient humans, which is obviously super cool 🕶️ Photos: A. Dudin & E. Lorenzen. We used #ancientDNA, stable isotopes, paleoproteomics & radiocarbon dating to answer some Qs about the mammoths, like...
Nice to spend some time in the lab again today 👨🔬 even if it was just pooling some #ancientDNA libraries for sequencing. Hoping for some 🐃 (long-horned buffalo) DNA 🤞 #paleogenetics #africa #aDNA #SciSky
November 25, 2024 at 11:07 PM
Nice to spend some time in the lab again today 👨🔬 even if it was just pooling some #ancientDNA libraries for sequencing. Hoping for some 🐃 (long-horned buffalo) DNA 🤞 #paleogenetics #africa #aDNA #SciSky
I love it when a plot comes together! #TheADNATeam
Took me a while to get from mapDamage output to this, but got there eventually! For the uninitiated - these plots show the classic ancient DNA damage pattern at the ends of sequencing reads - so we know the DNA is ooooold 🧬🦣 #aDNA #mammoth #SciSky
Took me a while to get from mapDamage output to this, but got there eventually! For the uninitiated - these plots show the classic ancient DNA damage pattern at the ends of sequencing reads - so we know the DNA is ooooold 🧬🦣 #aDNA #mammoth #SciSky
November 13, 2024 at 5:28 PM
I love it when a plot comes together! #TheADNATeam
Took me a while to get from mapDamage output to this, but got there eventually! For the uninitiated - these plots show the classic ancient DNA damage pattern at the ends of sequencing reads - so we know the DNA is ooooold 🧬🦣 #aDNA #mammoth #SciSky
Took me a while to get from mapDamage output to this, but got there eventually! For the uninitiated - these plots show the classic ancient DNA damage pattern at the ends of sequencing reads - so we know the DNA is ooooold 🧬🦣 #aDNA #mammoth #SciSky
Do you work on ancient DNA of animals in the tropics & subtropics? Submit an abstract to our session "Animal paleogenomics beyond higher latitudes" at SMBE 2024, to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 7-11 July 2024! smbe2024.org. Deadline: 15 March.
February 14, 2024 at 1:22 PM
Do you work on ancient DNA of animals in the tropics & subtropics? Submit an abstract to our session "Animal paleogenomics beyond higher latitudes" at SMBE 2024, to be held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico from 7-11 July 2024! smbe2024.org. Deadline: 15 March.
...because muscle needs power! I managed to sneak THE line into the paper with no objections from my co-author, reviewers, or the editor, because who would deny such a classic? Both the samples were from South Africa, inspiring the colour scheme of the mitogenome maps.
November 22, 2023 at 10:39 AM
...because muscle needs power! I managed to sneak THE line into the paper with no objections from my co-author, reviewers, or the editor, because who would deny such a classic? Both the samples were from South Africa, inspiring the colour scheme of the mitogenome maps.
Ever heard the legendary phrase "the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell"? Of course you have. In our mitogenome announcement of two dwarf African antelope species, we saw 23-fold higher mitogenome coverage with heart tissue vs skin...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 22, 2023 at 10:04 AM
Ever heard the legendary phrase "the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell"? Of course you have. In our mitogenome announcement of two dwarf African antelope species, we saw 23-fold higher mitogenome coverage with heart tissue vs skin...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....