Biomolecular analyses reveal the age, sex and species identity of a near-intact Pleistocene bird carcass

Dussex, Nicolas, Stanton, David W. G., Sigeman, Hanna, Ericson, Per G. P., Gill, Jacquelyn, Fisher, Daniel C., Protopopov, Albert V., Herridge, Victoria L., Plotnikov, Valery, Hansson, Bengt and Dalén, Love 2020. Biomolecular analyses reveal the age, sex and species identity of a near-intact Pleistocene bird carcass. Communications Biology 3 (1) , 84. 10.1038/s42003-020-0806-7

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Abstract

Ancient remains found in permafrost represent a rare opportunity to study past ecosystems. Here, we present an exceptionally well-preserved ancient bird carcass found in the Siberian permafrost, along with a radiocarbon date and a reconstruction of its complete mitochondrial genome. The carcass was radiocarbon dated to approximately 44–49 ka BP, and was genetically identified as a female horned lark. This is a species that usually inhabits open habitat, such as the steppe environment that existed in Siberia at the time. This near-intact carcass highlights the potential of permafrost remains for evolutionary studies that combine both morphology and ancient nucleic acids.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Nature Research
ISSN:	2399-3642
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 November 2023
Date of Acceptance:	31 January 2020
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2023 17:16
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/161418

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