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Molecular Biologist |
Scientists have extracted DNA from a 6,000-year-old penguin. Comparing it with the DNA of modern penguins, significant differences were discovered…
After nearly a decade of researching the DNA of the Adélie penguin in Antarctica, a research team led by molecular biologist David Lambert from Massey University in Auckland, New Zealand, successfully extracted the nuclear DNA from the penguins. Their goal is to understand why there are such significant genetic differences between modern penguins and their ancestors from 6,000 years ago.
Every summer, Adélie penguins gather in large numbers to breed. For every four chicks, one typically does not survive. Over time, a substantial amount of penguin bones from various eras has accumulated in these breeding grounds. Antarctica, with its climate resembling a natural refrigerator, provides optimal conditions for preserving DNA within these bones. The nuclear DNA, derived from both parents, offers an accurate reflection of their evolutionary pace.
The study revealed that the number of mutated genes accumulated in penguins from 6,000 years ago was “astonishing.” Researchers extracted nuclear DNA from 15 ancient penguins that lived 6,000 years ago and compared it to the nuclear DNA of 48 currently living penguins in the breeding area. The results indicated that among the short repetitive sequences of 9 DNA segments, 4 segments had elongated while 2 segments had shortened.
In evolutionary history, 6,000 years is not a long time. Penguins are a species that have remained largely isolated from the outside world, making the significant mutations observed in such a short time unprecedented in any other animal species.
According to the researchers, the rapid evolutionary pace of penguins could be attributed to icebergs that melted thousands of years ago, which disrupted their usual migration paths. This separation led to penguins breeding in new locations, integrating local penguin gene pools with new genetic lineages, thereby accelerating the evolutionary process of this species.
Snow Nhung
