Albumin systematics of the extinct mammoth and Tasmanian wolf

摘要: Knowledge of the molecular systematics living species1–3 has provided a framework, independent morphology, for evaluating genetic relationships forms. Although amino acids have been found in many animal and plant fossils4, information generally not obtained from small amounts surviving, chemically degraded protein. However, Westbroek et al.5 described immunological reactions to material 60-Myr-old molluscs, Lowenstein6,7 reported identification by radioimmunoassay (RIA) species-specific collagen serum factors primate bovine fossils. We report here use RIA detect characterize albumin soft tissues two recently extinct species, Siberian mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) Tasmanian wolf (Thylacinus cynocephalus). Mammoth was be very similar to, immunologically equidistant from, albumins species elephants, Indian (Elephas maximus) African (Loxodonta africana). stands same relationship those Australian marsupial dasyurids, Dasyurus Dasyuroides.