(Web Desk) - Woolly mammoths, before going extinct, likely struggled with allergies, which might have also played a role in their vanishing from Earth.
A study conducted by a team of chemists and zoologists suggests that these creatures also had a diminished sense of smell which made mating harder.
Researchers analysed frozen mammoth tissue and found antibodies and allergens in them. This made them conclude that the mammoths faced allergies which affected them in many ways.
“This was the first study where fragments of immunoglobulins were found in remains tens of thousands of years old,” the study’s first author, Gleb Zilberstein, told The Telegraph.
According to several studies, woolly mammoths inhabited North America, Asia, and northern Europe. They went extinct roughly 4,000 years ago but the reasons for this have always been speculative.
Climate change and hunting by humans have always been seen as primary reasons for this.
However, the latest discovery suggests that allergies might have been one reason for their extinction.
Mammoths are ancient relatives of modern-day elephants who rely on their sense of smell to find food, water and sexual partners.
However, the researchers say that pollen-induced nasal congestion might have hampered the woolly mammoths' sense of smell, making it hard for them to continue with their way of living.
“The development of allergies from plant pollen, changes in pollen’s allergic toxicity, pollen’s release period increasing or the emergence of a large quantity of flowering plants during climate change, could lead to decrements in sensitivity to odours in animals during the breeding season," the study says.
Since the animals were unable to find a mate because of nasal blockage hampering their sense of smell, sexual intercourse among the species saw a decline, as per the study.
Traces of antibodies which develop as an immune response to infections were found in the frozen mammoths discovered in Siberia. Organic compounds linked to pollen were also present, indicating the mammoths were likely inhaling pollen-filled air.
The researchers say that this condition was like an ancient hay fever and affected their ability to flourish. New plants species were coming up during the time the mammoths were going extinct, a period of global warming. Pollen released by these plants might have caused respiratory and olfactory issues for the animals.