Paleogenomic analysis of small mammals in the reconstruction of species responses to climate change

Can we use genomic sequences from fossil remains to reconstruct the relationship between species and climate change during the late glaciation and early Holocene? What did these relationships look like? These are the research questions we are trying to answer in this project. The research material consists of paleogenetic remains of several species of voles (Microtus sp.).

Bank Vole photographed by Tommes Frites

Why small mammals?

The simplest answer is their abundance at paleontological sites, which allows us to collect a series of specimens covering a range of successive climate changes. Therefore, we expect sampling to continue in subsequent periods.

How do we confirm the age of the samples?

Our previous research shows that vole molars contain well-preserved DNA in sufficient quantity and quality to analyze the nuclear genome and estimate their molecular age. In addition, some samples are subjected to direct radiocarbon dating. This is made possible by the latest techniques, which allow the use of even small samples, such as vole remains, enabling the accurate placement of population changes on a time scale and comparison of their occurrence with available paleoclimate records. In this project, we focus not only on identifying the responses of the populations to specific climate changes, but also on gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms behind these responses.

Research Focus

To answer the questions in detail we have divided the main objectives of the project into two categories:

British Isles- The first aspect involves reconstructing the history of the postglacial population of the common vole (M. arvalis) and the field vole (M. agrestis) in the British Isles. The evolutionary history of both species has been thoroughly studied using mitochondrial DNA, but the colonization of the British Isles after the last glacial remains unexplained. In the case of the common vole, its natural presence on the islands has only recently been confirmed, while in the case of the field vole, genetic data suggest that the islands were colonized at least twice, with natural selection being the main factor shaping the modern population.

Western Carpathians- The second aspect addressed in the project concerns the reconstruction and comparison of four vole species in response to climate change in the Western Carpathians. We selected the common vole, the root vole (M. oeconomus), the narrow-headed vole (Lasiopodomys gregalis), and the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). These species were not chosen at random, as they represent a wide spectrum of ecological niches, from cold and dry steppe tundra to temperate forests. We hope that, using the above species as examples, we will reveal a variety of responses, such as range changes, adaptations, and local extinctions.