Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland
Seersholm et al. analysed permafrozen middens from Inuit and Viking settlements to uncover evidence of diet in prehistoric Greenland. Using ancient DNA, they identified 42 different species and found that whales were surprisingly common. The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic was...
Published in: | Nature Human Behaviour |
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Online Access: | https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/ancient-dna-provides-insights-into-4000-years-of-resource-economy-across-greenland(a5ed88e8-585a-4dac-9731-9742f0169127).html https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z |
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/a5ed88e8-585a-4dac-9731-9742f0169127 2024-06-09T07:44:11+00:00 Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland Seersholm, Frederik V. Harmsen, Hans Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte Madsen, Christian K. Jensen, Jens F. Hollesen, Jørgen Meldgaard, Morten Bunce, Michael Hansen, Anders J. 2022 https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/ancient-dna-provides-insights-into-4000-years-of-resource-economy-across-greenland(a5ed88e8-585a-4dac-9731-9742f0169127).html https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess Seersholm , F V , Harmsen , H , Gotfredsen , A B , Madsen , C K , Jensen , J F , Hollesen , J , Meldgaard , M , Bunce , M & Hansen , A J 2022 , ' Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland ' , Nature Human Behaviour , vol. 6 , no. 12 , pp. 1723-1730 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z BOWHEAD WHALES MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENETIC-VARIATION ALIGNMENT HISTORY FISH article 2022 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z 2024-05-16T11:29:26Z Seersholm et al. analysed permafrozen middens from Inuit and Viking settlements to uncover evidence of diet in prehistoric Greenland. Using ancient DNA, they identified 42 different species and found that whales were surprisingly common. The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic was tightly coupled to the ability of past peoples to exploit the full range of resources available to them. There is substantial evidence for the hunting of birds, caribou and seals in prehistoric Greenland. However, the extent to which these communities relied on fish and cetaceans is understudied because of taphonomic processes that affect how these taxa are presented in the archaeological record. To address this, we analyse DNA from bulk bone samples from 12 archaeological middens across Greenland covering the Palaeo-Inuit, Norse and Neo-Inuit culture. We identify an assemblage of 42 species, including nine fish species and five whale species, of which the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was the most commonly detected. Furthermore, we identify a new haplotype in caribou (Rangifer tarandus), suggesting the presence of a distinct lineage of (now extinct) dwarfed caribou in Greenland 3,000 years ago. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Greenland inuit Rangifer tarandus University of Copenhagen: Research Arctic Greenland Nature Human Behaviour 6 12 1723 1730 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
topic |
BOWHEAD WHALES MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENETIC-VARIATION ALIGNMENT HISTORY FISH |
spellingShingle |
BOWHEAD WHALES MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENETIC-VARIATION ALIGNMENT HISTORY FISH Seersholm, Frederik V. Harmsen, Hans Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte Madsen, Christian K. Jensen, Jens F. Hollesen, Jørgen Meldgaard, Morten Bunce, Michael Hansen, Anders J. Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
topic_facet |
BOWHEAD WHALES MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA GENETIC-VARIATION ALIGNMENT HISTORY FISH |
description |
Seersholm et al. analysed permafrozen middens from Inuit and Viking settlements to uncover evidence of diet in prehistoric Greenland. Using ancient DNA, they identified 42 different species and found that whales were surprisingly common. The success and failure of past cultures across the Arctic was tightly coupled to the ability of past peoples to exploit the full range of resources available to them. There is substantial evidence for the hunting of birds, caribou and seals in prehistoric Greenland. However, the extent to which these communities relied on fish and cetaceans is understudied because of taphonomic processes that affect how these taxa are presented in the archaeological record. To address this, we analyse DNA from bulk bone samples from 12 archaeological middens across Greenland covering the Palaeo-Inuit, Norse and Neo-Inuit culture. We identify an assemblage of 42 species, including nine fish species and five whale species, of which the bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) was the most commonly detected. Furthermore, we identify a new haplotype in caribou (Rangifer tarandus), suggesting the presence of a distinct lineage of (now extinct) dwarfed caribou in Greenland 3,000 years ago. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Seersholm, Frederik V. Harmsen, Hans Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte Madsen, Christian K. Jensen, Jens F. Hollesen, Jørgen Meldgaard, Morten Bunce, Michael Hansen, Anders J. |
author_facet |
Seersholm, Frederik V. Harmsen, Hans Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte Madsen, Christian K. Jensen, Jens F. Hollesen, Jørgen Meldgaard, Morten Bunce, Michael Hansen, Anders J. |
author_sort |
Seersholm, Frederik V. |
title |
Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
title_short |
Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
title_full |
Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland |
title_sort |
ancient dna provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across greenland |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/ancient-dna-provides-insights-into-4000-years-of-resource-economy-across-greenland(a5ed88e8-585a-4dac-9731-9742f0169127).html https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Greenland inuit Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Arctic Balaena mysticetus bowhead whale Greenland inuit Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Seersholm , F V , Harmsen , H , Gotfredsen , A B , Madsen , C K , Jensen , J F , Hollesen , J , Meldgaard , M , Bunce , M & Hansen , A J 2022 , ' Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland ' , Nature Human Behaviour , vol. 6 , no. 12 , pp. 1723-1730 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01454-z |
container_title |
Nature Human Behaviour |
container_volume |
6 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1723 |
op_container_end_page |
1730 |
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1801372979567788032 |