Assessment of past biodiversity through DNA preserved in bulk bone.

该项目旨在对化石进行独特的研究，以确定生态系统的组成和生物多样性如何响应人为影响而发生变化。骨骼化石为研究过去的环境及其变化提供了一个窗口，这些化石讲述的故事可以通过古代DNA分析进一步增强。该项目计划使用大量骨骼元条形码，将数百块低价值（碎片）骨骼一起磨碎，以提供具有成本效益的化石组合遗传审计。研究来自大洋洲和东南亚的骨骼，该项目旨在为生物多样性提供一个历史视角。了解以前的生态系统组成和灭绝可以促进有效的恢复和保护措施。

This project aims to make a unique study of fossils to determine how the composition and biodiversity of ecosystems have changed in response to anthropogenic influences. Fossil bones provide a window through which to study past environments and how they have changed, and the stories these fossils tell can be further enhanced by ancient DNA analyses. This project plans to use bulk bone metabarcoding where hundreds of low-value (fragmented) bones are collectively ground together to provide a cost-effective genetic audit of fossil assemblages. Working on bone from across Oceania and south-east Asia, this project aims to provide a historical perspective on biodiversity. Understanding former ecosystem composition and extinction may facilitate effective restoration and conservation initiatives.