Collapse of the mammoth-steppe in central Yukon as revealed by ancient environmental DNA

A groundbreaking analysis of ancient environmental DNA (sedaDNA) from the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada, reveals the collapse of the mammoth-steppe ecosystem between 13,500 and 10,000 years ago. This study provides unprecedented insights into the Late Quaternary extinctions by leveraging sedimentary records preserved in permafrost silts. The findings indicate a significant turnover in ecosystem composition during this period, marked by the rise of woody shrubs and the disappearance of the mammoth-steppe. Notably, the research also identifies lingering signals of Equus sp. (North American horse) and Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth), suggesting their persistence thousands of years beyond their supposed extinction in the fossil record. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of the relative impacts of climate change, ecosystem restructuring, and human activities on megafaunal extinctions.

Murchie, T. J., Monteath, A. J., Mahony, M. E., Long, G. S., Cocker, S., Sadoway, T., Karpinski, E., Zazula, G., MacPhee, R. D. E., Froese, D., & Poinar, H. N. (2021). Collapse of the mammoth-steppe in central Yukon as revealed by ancient environmental DNA. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27439-6