Ancient DNA and osteological analyses of a unique paleo-archive reveal Early Holocene faunal expansion into the Scandinavian Arctic.
Paleo-archives are essential for our understanding of species responses to climate warming, yet such archives are extremely rare in the Arctic. Here, we combine morphological analyses and bulk-bone metabarcoding to investigate a unique chronology of bone deposits sealed in the high-latitude Storstei...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2024
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/39688/ https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/39688/1/Ancient%20DNA%20and%20osteological%20analyses%20of%20a%20unique%20paleo-archive%20reveal%20Early%20Holocene%20faunal%20expansion%20into%20the%20Scandinavian.pdf |
Summary: | Paleo-archives are essential for our understanding of species responses to climate warming, yet such archives are extremely rare in the Arctic. Here, we combine morphological analyses and bulk-bone metabarcoding to investigate a unique chronology of bone deposits sealed in the high-latitude Storsteinhola cave system (68°50' N 16°22' E) in Norway. This deposit dates to a period of climate warming from the end of the Late Glacial [~13 thousand calibrated years before the present (ka cal B.P.)] to the Holocene thermal maximum (~5.6 ka cal B.P.). Paleogenetic analyses allow us to exploit the 1000s of morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments resulting in a high-resolution sequence with 40 different taxa, including species not previously found here. Our record reveals borealization in both the marine and terrestrial environments above the Arctic Circle as a naturally recurring phenomenon in past periods of warming, providing fundamental insights into the ecosystem-wide responses that are ongoing today. |
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