For the first time in history, scientists have extracted and decoded RNA molecules from the remains of an Ice Age woolly mammoth.
The breakthrough, achieved by researchers at Stockholm University and published in Cell, reveals that RNA—not just DNA—can survive for tens of thousands of years when preserved in permafrost.
These RNA molecules come from a mammoth that lived nearly 40,000 years ago, making them the oldest ever sequenced.
Until now, scientists believed RNA was too fragile to last long after an organism’s death.
While DNA can survive for hundreds of thousands or even millions of years under the right conditions, RNA typically breaks apart within hours.
But the mammoth tissues used in this study were exceptionally well preserved in the deep freeze of Siberian permafrost, allowing researchers to explore biological details that DNA alone cannot reveal.
RNA carries messages inside cells that show which genes were active at the time of death. This means that, unlike DNA—which is more like a static blueprint—RNA offers a snapshot of what the organism’s cells were doing in its final moments.
Lead author Emilio Mármol explains that RNA shows directly which genes are “turned on,” giving researchers a clearer view of the mammoth’s muscle biology, metabolism, and stress responses.
The team studied muscle from Yuka, a juvenile mammoth discovered in 2010 whose remains are among the best preserved ever found.
They identified tissue-specific patterns of gene activity, finding that only a small fraction of the mammoth’s more than 20,000 protein-coding genes were active in the muscle tissue. Many of the detected RNA sequences came from genes involved in muscle contraction and stress response.
One particularly intriguing finding was clear evidence of cell stress. Earlier studies suggested that Yuka had been attacked by cave lions shortly before dying, and the new RNA data supports that idea.
The researchers also discovered large numbers of regulatory RNAs, including microRNAs—tiny molecules that help control how genes are used. These microRNAs provided unmistakable proof that the RNA truly came from a mammoth, thanks to rare mutations not found in any other species.
The discovery pushes the boundaries of what scientists thought was possible. Love Dalén, professor of Evolutionary Genomics at Stockholm University, notes that if RNA can survive this long, researchers may one day sequence ancient RNA viruses preserved in ice, including those related to influenza or coronaviruses. This could give scientists entirely new ways to study the diseases that once affected ancient animals and possibly early humans.
The research team hopes to combine RNA data with DNA, proteins, and other molecules in future studies. By layering these different types of information, scientists could gain a far richer picture of mammoths and other extinct species than ever before.
This landmark discovery opens a new window into the biology of the Ice Age and promises to reshape our understanding of how ancient animals lived, died, and evolved.
