About the project
Humans have exploited the naturally abundant resources of marine ecosystems since prehistoric times. One of these resources, Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), is of profound economic and cultural value for communities around the North Atlantic Ocean. The history of exploitation for this species dates back millennia, which makes it difficult to quantify the extent of human impact. While contemporary influence of industrial fishing is associated with population collapse and phenotypic changes that lead to economic loss, it is unclear if past episodes of intensive fishing have wrought analogous demographic and evolutionary changes. Therefore, the true anthropogenic impacts on the ecology of exploited fish populations remain unclear.
Here, we obtain genome-wide data from archaeological bones up to 9000 years old and ask if an intensive exploitation history covering millennia has inflicted demographic and selective changes on Atlantic cod. We reconstruct long-term patterns of cod diversity from those periods predating extensive human influence and simultaneously identify the source populations of Viking Age and medieval fish trade. Our spatiotemporal approach allows us to assess associations between expanding fisheries, population decline and anthropogenic selection, as well as answer specific archaeological questions.
Financing
This project funded by the Research Council of Norway as a Young Research Talent Grant to Bastiaan Star
Collaborators
Dr. James Barrett
Dr. Sanne Boessenkool
Dr. Ludovic Orlando
Dr. Anne-Karin Hufthammer
Dr. Carl Andre
Dr. Sissel Jentoft
Dr. Nils Chr. Stenseth
Period
Start: Sept 2017 End: Dec 2021