Data from: Last Glacial Maximum environmental conditions at Andøya, northern Norway; evidence for a northern ice-edge ecological “hotspot” ...

• Main Authors: Alsos, Inger, Sjögren, Per, Brown, Antony, Gielly, Ludovic, Merkel, Marie, Paus, Aage, Lammers, Youri, Edwards, Mary, Alm, Torbjørn, Leng, Melanie, Goslar, Tomasz, Langdon, Catherine, Bakke, Jostein, Van Der Bilt, Willem
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2020
• Subjects: Andøya; Norway; Øvre; øvre Æråsvatnet; little auk; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.zw3r2285q; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.zw3r2285q

Andøya on the NW coast of Norway is a key site for understanding the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in northern Europe. Controversy has arisen concerning the local conditions, especially about the timing and extent of local glacial cover, maximum July temperatures and whether pine and/or spruce could have grown there. We reviewed all existing data and add newly analysed ancient sedimentary DNA, pollen, macrofossils, geochemistry and stable isotopes from three lake sediment cores from Øvre Æråsvatnet. A total of 23 new dates and age-depth modelling suggests the lake has been ice-free since GI2 (<22.8 k cal. BP) and possibly GS3 (<27.4 k cal. BP). Pinus and Picea sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) was found in all three cores but at such low frequencies that it could not be distinguished from background contamination. LGM samples have an exceptionally high organic matter content, with isotopic values indicating that carbon and nitrogen derives from a marine source. Along with finds of bones of the little auk ... : DNA metabarcoding of ancient lake sediments collected from Andøya, Norway. The chloroplast trnL (UAA) intron, or p6-loop, was amplified for the sediment extracts. ...