Sammendrag
Paleogenomics is a molecular approach to paleontological records allowing the analysis of past ecosystems through ancient DNA (aDNA) found in fossils and soils. The discovery of Europe’s northernmost bone-rich karst cave system with sediments and bones dated up to 122ka, in Kjøpsvik (68°50’N) Northern Norway, presents a unique opportunity to study the response of arctic and boreal ecosystems to climate change during the last interglacial. The objectives of this project are to : (i) reconstruct faunal diversity and (ii) genetic diversity of mammalian populations as well as (iii) their distribution throughout the last glacial cycle over a period of 122 000 years. Metabarcoding will be used on bulk bone material (aDNA) and sediments (sedaDNA) to reconstruct the faunal diversity from excavated bone fragments. Genomic analyses based on both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes will be conducted to study historic biogeography of selected species. This study will provide new insights into mammalian diversity of high latitude ecosystems of Scandinavia throughout the last glacial cycle, and contribute to our understanding of their resilience and adaptive capabilities in the face of climate change.
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