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Frozen Squirrel Scat Reveals Ancient Ecosystem of Woolly Mammoths and Big Cats
Key Takeaways
- Arctic ground squirrel coprolites preserved in permafrost for up to 700,000 years contain DNA from woolly mammoths, bison, horses, wolves, and big cats.
- The squirrels are omnivorous scavengers, which explains the presence of large mammal DNA in their feces.
- The study reconstructs mitochondrial genomes and provides a snapshot of the Beringian ice-age ecosystem.
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DT Editorial Team··via newscientist.com