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Science 7 July 2006:
Vol. 313. no. 5783, p. 62
DOI: 10.1126/science.1128994
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Brevia

Nuclear Gene Indicates Coat-Color Polymorphism in Mammoths

Holger Römpler,1 Nadin Rohland,2 Carles Lalueza-Fox,3 Eske Willerslev,4 Tatyana Kuznetsova,5 Gernot Rabeder,6 Jaume Bertranpetit,7 Torsten Schöneberg,1 Michael Hofreiter2*

By amplifying the melanocortin type 1 receptor from the woolly mammoth, we can report the complete nucleotide sequence of a nuclear-encoded gene from an extinct species. We found two alleles and show that one allele produces a functional protein whereas the other one encodes a protein with strongly reduced activity. This finding suggests that mammoths may have been polymorphic in coat color, with both dark- and light-haired individuals co-occurring.

1 Molecular Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
2 Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
3 Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
4 Ancient DNA and Evolution Group, Centre for Ancient Genetics, Niels Bohr Institute and Biological Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
5 Department of Paleontology, Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia.
6 Department of Paleontology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
7 Unitat de Biologia Evolutiva, Facultat de Ciéncies de la Salut i de la Vida, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hofreite{at}eva.mpg.de

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