Genetic research sheds new light on woolly mammoth evolution

Study shows traits such as fluffy coats were encoded and became more pronounced as animals adapted to harsh Siberian climate

Woolly mammoths' distinctive traits, including smaller ears, large fat deposits and fluffy coats, became more pronounced over 700,000 years as they adapted to the harsh climate of the Siberian steppes, a study suggests.

Researchers compared the genomes of 23 Siberian woolly mammoths with 28 modern-day elephants and found that many of the woolly mammoth's traits were already genetically encoded in the earliest animals. However, as they evolved, their bodies adapted to their environment, enabling them to retain more heat.