Temporal genetic change in the last remaining population of woolly mammoth

A sudden extinction likely occurred around 5000 years ago for the last remaining population of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island, despite a prolonged period of isolation. Research analyzing mitochondrial DNA revealed that while genetic variation was lost during an initial bottleneck or founder event, no further decline was observed over millennia. This suggests the population remained stable until its abrupt disappearance, challenging assumptions about gradual declines in isolated species.

Nyström, V., Dalén, L., Vartanyan, S., Lidén, K., Ryman, N., & Angerbjörn, A. (2010). Temporal genetic change in the last remaining population of woolly mammoth. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 277(1692), 2331–2337. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.0301