Ursus Spelaeus Genome Sequenced
These huge bears were the contemporaries of Pleistocene human beings. Previous studies have determined the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of other extinct organisms, such as the prehistoric human Homo neanderthalensis, the Pleistocene mastodon and woolly mammoth -- both of which have been found preserved in ice -- and two types of moas, gigantic flightless birds, much larger than ostriches, that lived in New Zealand until a few hundred years ago. The DNA for the French study was taken from bone, as was the case for Homo neanderthalensis. The material, a bear sternebra dated to 32,000 years before present, was obtained from Chauvet-Pont d'Arc Cave in France, which contains the oldest known cave paintings. This particular cavern contains the remains of thousands of bears. Considering the vast quantity of skeletal material preserved in caves and the greatly reduced cost of sequencing today, mtDNA sequences for a wide variety of other extinct animals are probably just around the corner.
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