Researchers from Stockholm University have extracted intact RNA from a juvenile woolly mammoth, nicknamed Yuka, preserved in Siberian permafrost for about 40,000 years. The recovery, reported in Cell, overturns assumptions that RNA cannot survive long after death and revealed previously unknown microRNAs. These findings allow scientists to observe cellular processes frozen at the time of death and may shed light on the evolution of RNA-based biology and viruses.
Scientists Recover Intact RNA from a 40,000‑Year‑Old Woolly Mammoth — New Window into Ancient Biology
Researchers from Stockholm University have extracted intact RNA from a juvenile woolly mammoth, nicknamed Yuka, preserved in Siberian permafrost for about 40,000 years. The recovery, reported in Cell, overturns assumptions that RNA cannot survive long after death and revealed previously unknown microRNAs. These findings allow scientists to observe cellular processes frozen at the time of death and may shed light on the evolution of RNA-based biology and viruses.
02:11 PM, 11/16/2025Science
Ancient RNA Recovered from Siberian Mammoth
Researchers from Stockholm University report in the journal Cell that they have, for the first time, recovered intact ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the remarkably preserved remains of a juvenile woolly mammoth found in Siberian permafrost.
The specimen, nicknamed Yuka and believed to be female, died roughly 40,000 years ago. Cold, stable permafrost conditions largely protected the animal's tissues and allowed scientists to isolate RNA from several mammoth remains; three of those samples—including Yuka's—yielded usable material.
'RNA, according to the textbooks, is extremely unstable and basically degrades within minutes after being outside of a living cell,' said Marc Friedlander, a computational biologist who led the study. 'It's so amazingly surprising to find RNA that is 40,000 years old. Nobody really thought this was possible.'
RNA is the molecule that helps convert genetic information into proteins. Because RNA normally breaks down rapidly after death, recovering ancient RNA was previously considered unlikely. The new findings show that under rare, cold-preserving conditions, cellular RNA and regulatory molecules can persist long enough for meaningful analysis.
Stockholm University paleontologist Love Dalen described the effort as high risk: 'At first it seemed almost crazy to try, but the preservation was exceptional and the results speak for themselves.' The specimen bears wound marks on its hindquarters, consistent with attack or scavenging by cave lions.
By sequencing the ancient RNA, the team was able to observe biological processes that were occurring in cells around the time of death — effectively frozen in time for tens of thousands of years. The researchers also identified previously unreported microRNAs, small regulatory molecules that influence how genetic instructions are used to build proteins.
Implications
Recovered ancient RNA opens new research avenues: it can improve understanding of extinct animal physiology and development, refine evolutionary relationships, and inform how RNA-based systems — including RNA viruses — have evolved. The study suggests that, where preservation is exceptional, ancient RNA can provide biological insights that DNA alone may not reveal.
Publication: Stockholm University research team, published in Cell.