Ancient Ecology: Changes in penguin diet over ~30,000 years in Antarctica

该项目提出了第一个使用第二代DNA测序和定向基因恢复相结合的直接研究古代生态学的方法。南极海洋的食物网是海洋环境中能量和营养循环的经典范例。尽管人们对这个食物链的现状有很多了解，但了解这组复杂的捕食者/猎物关系是如何随着时间的推移而发生变化的，对于理解这个系统本身的性质是至关重要的。该项目旨在追踪阿德利企鹅从大约30,000年前保存下来的古代粪便(鸟粪)遗骸中饮食的变化。已知这些遗骸中含有企鹅猎物的微小残留物。

This project proposes the first direct study of ancient ecology using a combination of second-generation DNA sequencing and targeted gene recovery. The food web of the Antarctic Ocean is a classic textbook example of energy and nutrient cycling in the marine environment. Although a great deal is known about the current status of this food web, understanding how this complex set of predator / prey relationships have changed over long periods of time is vital to understanding the nature of the system itself. The project intends to track changes in the diet of Adélie penguins from serially preserved ancient fecal (guano) remains dating back approximately 30,000 years. These remains are known to contain microscopic remnants of penguin prey.