The surprising history of woolly rhinos: They weren't always creatures of the frozen north
Phys.org ·
Woolly rhinoceroses (Coelodonta antiquitatis) were fascinating creatures: giant, lumbering Ice Age beasts with thick fur and massive horns that died out about 11,000 years ago. Previous genetic studies had left open the question of whether their genetic diversity emerged in high-latitude areas, like that of woolly mammoths, but a new analysis of ancient DNA and habitat models covering the past 500,000 years has revealed a different story.
Woolly rhinoceroses (Coelodonta antiquitatis) were fascinating creatures: giant, lumbering Ice Age beasts with thick fur and massive horns that died out about 11,000 years ago. Previous genetic studies had left open the question of whether their genetic diversity emerged in high-latitude areas, like that of woolly mammoths, but a new analysis of ancient DNA and habitat models covering the past 500,000 years has revealed a different story.