40,000-year-old woolly mammoth RNA offers a peek into its last moments

RNA sequences from the mammoth, named Yuka, are the oldest ever reported

A preserved woolly mammoth with a reddish brown coat stands with its trunk outstretched.

Inside the preserved tissues of Yuka, a woolly mammoth named that lived 40,000 years ago, scientists have uncovered ancient RNA.

Valeri Plotnikov

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