The scientists concluded that the island's population was founded about 10,000 years ago by a tiny herd made up of fewer than 10 animals. The colony survived for 6,000 years, but the mammoths suffered from a host of genetic disorders.
Oliver Ryder, the director of conservation genetics at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said that the study held important lessons for trying to save species from extinction today. It shows that inbreeding could cause long-term harm.
The mammoth study allows one to examine that process over thousands of years, said Dr. Ryder, who was not involved in the new study. We don't have data like that for the species we are trying to save now.
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