A 2-million-year-old ecosystem in Greenland uncovered by environmental DNA
Author:
Kjær Kurt H.ORCID, Winther Pedersen MikkelORCID, De Sanctis BiancaORCID, De Cahsan BiniaORCID, Korneliussen Thorfinn S., Michelsen Christian S., Sand Karina K.ORCID, Jelavić StanislavORCID, Ruter Anthony H., Schmidt Astrid M. A., Kjeldsen Kristian K.ORCID, Tesakov Alexey S., Snowball Ian, Gosse John C.ORCID, Alsos Inger G.ORCID, Wang YuchengORCID, Dockter ChristophORCID, Rasmussen MagnusORCID, Jørgensen Morten E.ORCID, Skadhauge BirgitteORCID, Prohaska AnaORCID, Kristensen Jeppe Å.ORCID, Bjerager Morten, Allentoft Morten E., Coissac EricORCID, Alsos Inger Greve, Coissac Eric, Rouillard AlexandraORCID, Simakova Alexandra, Fernandez-Guerra AntonioORCID, Bowler ChrisORCID, Macias-Fauria MarcORCID, Vinner Lasse, Welch John J., Hidy Alan J.ORCID, Sikora MartinORCID, Collins Matthew J., Durbin RichardORCID, Larsen Nicolaj K., Willerslev EskeORCID,
Abstract
AbstractLate Pliocene and Early Pleistocene epochs 3.6 to 0.8 million years ago1had climates resembling those forecasted under future warming2. Palaeoclimatic records show strong polar amplification with mean annual temperatures of 11–19 °C above contemporary values3,4. The biological communities inhabiting the Arctic during this time remain poorly known because fossils are rare5. Here we report an ancient environmental DNA6(eDNA) record describing the rich plant and animal assemblages of the Kap København Formation in North Greenland, dated to around two million years ago. The record shows an open boreal forest ecosystem with mixed vegetation of poplar, birch and thuja trees, as well as a variety of Arctic and boreal shrubs and herbs, many of which had not previously been detected at the site from macrofossil and pollen records. The DNA record confirms the presence of hare and mitochondrial DNA from animals including mastodons, reindeer, rodents and geese, all ancestral to their present-day and late Pleistocene relatives. The presence of marine species including horseshoe crab and green algae support a warmer climate than today. The reconstructed ecosystem has no modern analogue. The survival of such ancient eDNA probably relates to its binding to mineral surfaces. Our findings open new areas of genetic research, demonstrating that it is possible to track the ecology and evolution of biological communities from two million years ago using ancient eDNA.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Multidisciplinary
Reference101 articles.
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