Exploring past biodiversity in Scotland and Ireland using environmental ancient DNA

利用环境古 DNA 探索苏格兰和爱尔兰过去的生物多样性

• 批准号: 2605474
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Aberdeen
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2605474
• 关键词: Exploring; past; biodiversity; Scotland; Ireland

This project aims to refine our understanding of past biodiversity and ecosystems in Scotland and Ireland using environmental DNA extracted from ancient soil and sediments (environmental ancient DNA). It will generate new data from up to five study sites previously analysed for faunal remains, pollen or plant macrofossils, and for which temporal sequences are already established via radiocarbon or other dating methods. The final number and specific sites will be decided by the student in consultation with the supervisory team, but we envision that the project will focus on archaeological and palaeoecological sites currently undergoing research in our respective departments, such as the Pictish fort of Burghead in northcentral Scotland (1st millennium AD) and peat monoliths associated with a Mesolithic site in the Irish Midlands. The DNA analyses carried out as part of this PhD project will provide time-stamped and high-resolution 'snapshots' of local flora and fauna from the selected study sites. Floral diversity will be assessed using chloroplast DNA-metabarcoding techniques targeting the p6 loop (10-146 base pairs) of trnL gene in the chloroplast genome (Ref 1). The presence of mammals will be assessed by targeting a short stretch (60-84 base pairs) of the mitochondrial 16S gene (Ref 1) but with the aim to also include next-generation shotgun sequencing of DNA libraries enriched for mammalian DNA (Ref 2). The results will be co-analysed with previously generated palaeoenvironmental data from the selected sites and placed in the wider environmental and climatic sequences of Ireland and Scotland.The project offers comprehensive training in state-of-the-art ancient DNA methods (wet-lab and bioinformatics), as well as fieldwork and sampling (e.g. coring), and pollen and macrofossil analyses as a complement to the aDNA analyses. Where applicable, the student will also be trained in analysing tephrochronology and radiocarbon dates.

该项目旨在利用从古代土壤和沉积物中提取的环境DNA（环境古DNA）来完善我们对苏格兰和爱尔兰过去生物多样性和生态系统的理解。它将从多达五个研究地点产生新的数据，这些研究地点以前曾分析过动物群遗骸、花粉或植物宏体化石，并且已经通过放射性碳或其他测年方法确定了时间序列。最终的数量和具体地点将由学生与监督团队协商决定，但我们设想该项目将侧重于我们各自部门目前正在研究的考古和古生态遗址，例如苏格兰中北部的Burghead皮克特堡垒（公元1世纪）和与爱尔兰中部中石器时代遗址相关的泥炭巨石。作为该博士项目的一部分进行的DNA分析将提供选定研究地点的当地植物群和动物群的时间戳和高分辨率“快照”。将使用靶向叶绿体基因组中的trnL基因的p6环（10-146个碱基对）的叶绿体DNA元条形码技术来评估花多样性（参考文献1）。将通过靶向线粒体16 S基因的一小段（60-84个碱基对）来评估哺乳动物的存在（参考文献1），但目的还包括对富集哺乳动物DNA的DNA文库进行下一代鸟枪测序（参考文献2）。这些结果将与先前从选定地点产生的古环境数据共同分析，并放在爱尔兰和苏格兰更广泛的环境和气候序列中，该项目提供最先进的古DNA方法（湿实验室和生物信息学）以及实地工作和取样（例如取芯）和花粉和宏体化石分析方面的全面培训，作为对aDNA分析的补充。在适用的情况下，学生还将接受分析火山灰年代学和放射性碳年代学的培训。