Columbian mammoth mitogenomes from Mexico uncover the species' complex evolutionary history

Abstract

Paleogenomic studies suggest that Mammuthus columbi derives from an ancient hybridization between Mammuthus primigenius and Mammuthus trogontherii. Although its habitat spanned from North to central America, available genetic data are limited to temperate regions, leaving gaps in knowledge of the species’ demographic history on the continent. In this study, we generated 61 capture-enriched M. columbi mitogenomes from the basin of Mexico, located in central Mexico. Our analysis reveals that these mitogenomes belong to a mitochondrial lineage distinct from that of other North American mammoth mitogenomes. these divergent mitogenomes suggest a deep population structure in their ancestors and challenge prior assumptions based on geographically restricted samples. Our findings underscore the importance of wider spatial sampling to reconstruct mammoths’ evolutionary history and demonstrate the feasibility of studying megafauna from tropical latitudes.