Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes
Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) from lake sediments has yielded remarkable insights for the reconstruction of past ecosystems, including suggestions of late survival of extinct species. However, translocation and lateral inflow of DNA in sediments can potentially distort the stratigraphic signal o...
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2024-03-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89992 |
| _version_ | 1797261285029576704 |
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| author | Peter Andreas Seeber Laura Batke Yury Dvornikov Alexandra Schmidt Yi Wang Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring Katie Moon Samuel H Vohr Beth Shapiro Laura S Epp |
| author_facet | Peter Andreas Seeber Laura Batke Yury Dvornikov Alexandra Schmidt Yi Wang Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring Katie Moon Samuel H Vohr Beth Shapiro Laura S Epp |
| author_sort | Peter Andreas Seeber |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) from lake sediments has yielded remarkable insights for the reconstruction of past ecosystems, including suggestions of late survival of extinct species. However, translocation and lateral inflow of DNA in sediments can potentially distort the stratigraphic signal of the DNA. Using three different approaches on two short lake sediment cores of the Yamal peninsula, West Siberia, with ages spanning only the past hundreds of years, we detect DNA and identified mitochondrial genomes of multiple mammoth and woolly rhinoceros individuals—both species that have been extinct for thousands of years on the mainland. The occurrence of clearly identifiable aeDNA of extinct Pleistocene megafauna (e.g. >400 K reads in one core) throughout these two short subsurface cores, along with specificities of sedimentology and dating, confirm that processes acting on regional scales, such as extensive permafrost thawing, can influence the aeDNA record and should be accounted for in aeDNA paleoecology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:38:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3329ef859167495d95f2ec9d3b5cea3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:38:47Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
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| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-3329ef859167495d95f2ec9d3b5cea3c2024-03-15T13:44:23ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2024-03-011210.7554/eLife.89992Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakesPeter Andreas Seeber0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4401-8248Laura Batke1Yury Dvornikov2Alexandra Schmidt3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9262-0941Yi Wang4Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6609-3217Katie Moon6Samuel H Vohr7Beth Shapiro8Laura S Epp9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2230-9477Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyAgroengineering Department/Department of Landscape Design and Sustainable Ecosystems, Agrarian and Technological Institute, RUDN University, Moscow, Russian Federation; Laboratory of Carbon Monitoring in Terrestrial Ecosystems, Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems of Soil Science of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russian FederationDepartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyDepartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Potsdam, GermanyDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United StatesEmbark Veterinary, Inc, Boston, United StatesDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, United StatesDepartment of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, GermanyAncient environmental DNA (aeDNA) from lake sediments has yielded remarkable insights for the reconstruction of past ecosystems, including suggestions of late survival of extinct species. However, translocation and lateral inflow of DNA in sediments can potentially distort the stratigraphic signal of the DNA. Using three different approaches on two short lake sediment cores of the Yamal peninsula, West Siberia, with ages spanning only the past hundreds of years, we detect DNA and identified mitochondrial genomes of multiple mammoth and woolly rhinoceros individuals—both species that have been extinct for thousands of years on the mainland. The occurrence of clearly identifiable aeDNA of extinct Pleistocene megafauna (e.g. >400 K reads in one core) throughout these two short subsurface cores, along with specificities of sedimentology and dating, confirm that processes acting on regional scales, such as extensive permafrost thawing, can influence the aeDNA record and should be accounted for in aeDNA paleoecology.https://elifesciences.org/articles/89992woolly rhinocerosmammothmammal |
| spellingShingle | Peter Andreas Seeber Laura Batke Yury Dvornikov Alexandra Schmidt Yi Wang Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring Katie Moon Samuel H Vohr Beth Shapiro Laura S Epp Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes eLife woolly rhinoceros mammoth mammal |
| title | Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes |
| title_full | Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes |
| title_fullStr | Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes |
| title_short | Mitochondrial genomes of Pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two Siberian lakes |
| title_sort | mitochondrial genomes of pleistocene megafauna retrieved from recent sediment layers of two siberian lakes |
| topic | woolly rhinoceros mammoth mammal |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/89992 |
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