Speaker: Matthew Wooler, University of Fairbanks
The extinction of woolly mammoths is still a subject of debate while ongoing efforts are devoted to de-extincting this iconic Ice Age creature. The recent discovery of ancient DNA from mammoths found in frozen ground in Siberia and Canada indicates the existence of mainland mammoths less than 10,000 years ago. This evidence extends the temporal gap between human arrival and mammoth extinction. In this oral presentation, we will briefly explore three case studies investigating mammoths in Alaska, all aiming to shed light on the timing and potential causes of their extinction.
In the first case study, we will examine St. Paul Island, Alaska, in the Bering Sea, home to Alaska's last-known mammoth population approximately 5,600 years ago. By analyzing ancient DNA and other evidence from an 18,000-year-old lake core, we have pinpointed the moment mammoths arrived, became isolated on the island, went extinct, and a likely cause for their local extinction.
However, because sea levels were much lower during the last ice age, St. Paul Island was once part of the Bering Land Bridge, a wider exposed landscape that connected Siberia and Alaska. The Bering Land Bridge played a crucial role in the movement of ancient peoples, flora, fauna, and mammoths between Asia and North America but has been submerged by rising sea levels since the end of the last ice age. Our second case study will take us on an exciting research cruise aboard the research vessel Sikuliaq in 2023. The primary objective of this expedition was to retrieve cores from ancient lakes that were once on the exposed Bering Land Bridge but are now submerged beneath the ocean. Analysis of these cores, including mammoth ancient DNA, promises a clearer understanding of the past environment and the timing of mammoth movements.
Lastly, we will delve into the "Adopt a Mammoth" project, initiated in 2022, which is actively seeking the last mammoth on mainland Alaska. Supported by public donations, Colossal Biosciences, and a new NSF project, this study systematically radiocarbon dates and analyzes the ancient DNA of nearly 1,500 mammoth specimens at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Exciting new findings from this project will be shared. The talk will conclude with a free raffle that will award three attendees present in person the adoption of their very own mammoth, bringing the past alive. Join us on this journey through time as we uncover some of the mysteries of mammoth extinction and their history in Alaska.