Scientists sequence a woolly rhino genome from a 14,400-year-old wolf’s stomach

Scientists extracted DNA from woolly rhino meat found in a 14,400-year-old wolf's stomach, revealing the species was genetically healthy just 400 years before vanishing from the fossil record. The genome showed the rhino population had stabilized at around 1,600 effective breeding individuals after declining from 15,600 between 114,000-63,000 years ago, which was sufficient to maintain species health. This discovery suggests woolly rhinos experienced a sudden extinction rather than a gradual decline, contradicting previous assumptions about their final demise.