Bastiaan Star

• Cobb, Lauren Louise; Sydenham, Markus A. K.; Nielsen, Anders & Star, Bastiaan (2026). Significant fine-scale population differentiation in two common bumblebee species (B. pascuorum and B. lapidarius) detected in Northern Europe. Heredity. ISSN 0018-067X. p. 1–14. doi: 10.1038/s41437-026-00873-2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Bumblebees are keystone pollinators which facilitate the reproduction of a wide range of wild and agricultural plants. Their abundance and diversity have been severely reduced by anthropogenic stressors such as widespread land-use change and habitat fragmentation. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of population structure and local adaptation in bumblebees inhabiting human-altered landscapes. Here, we discover significant fine-scale (e.g. ~300 km) population structure within two common bumblebee species, Bombus lapidarius and Bombus pascuorum, by analysing whole genome data of 106 specimens from 7 sites in northern Europe. While the observed population structure is largely associated with natural oceanic barriers, we also detect significant divergence between populations sampled from anthropogenic landscapes which are not separated by such barriers. Furthermore, whereas genetic divergence in B. lapidarius is spread relatively evenly across the genome, divergence in B. pascuorum is concentrated within several megabase-sized genomic regions—including a putative chromosomal inversion – which may underlie well-known colour polymorphisms across its range. Our observations reveal a distinct genomic architecture underlying population structure within these bumblebee species, and highlight the necessity of increasing our understanding of bumblebee connectivity to design optimal bumblebee conservation strategies.

• Atmore, Lane & Star, Bastiaan (2026). Beyond the scales: Marine archaeogenomics for the conservation and restoration of fisheries. Science. ISSN 0036-8075. 393(6810), p. 472–479. doi: 10.1126/science.aeg0333. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Protection and restoration of marine environments are essential for food security and climate change mitigation. Yet historical and archaeological research have shown that conservation and management often rely on arbitrary ecological baselines in ecosystems already shaped by long-term human impacts. Archaeogenomics, the combination of ancient DNA (aDNA) and whole-genome sequencing, provides invaluable insights into these impacts. Recent improvements in laboratory and computational techniques enable the assessment of past fish population dynamics, migration patterns, historical trade routes, long-term anthropogenic pressures, and responses to environmental change. This Review compiles aDNA research on archaeological fish remains, emphasizing studies from 2020 to 2025 that used whole-genome analysis to investigate historical fisheries and marine ecosystem change. We highlight the growing potential of archaeogenomics to inform restoration, conservation, sustainable fisheries management, and climate adaptation strategies worldwide.

• Dierickx, Katrien Alfred C; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen; Sollid, Eirik; Szpak, Paul & Seiler, Martin Thomas [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2026). The morphology, isotopic ecology, and phylogeny of walrus, Odobenus rosmarus (Pinnipedia: Odobenidae) populations. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4082. 207(1). doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag077. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Walruses are classified into nine extant and two extirpated populations across their circumpolar distribution. While there are hints that these differ morphologically, thus far there has been no in-depth comparison of their morphology and ecology, limiting insights into their conservation and evolutionary status. Here, we investigate regional differences in walrus morphology and ecology during the 17th–21st centuries ce by integrating morphometric analysis of crania (N = 188) and mandibles (N = 193), multi-isotope analysis of bone collagen (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S; N = 142), and genetic analysis (N = 115). The Pacific and Atlantic subspecies show morphological and isotopic distinctions. Distinct regional selection pressures on males and females can be inferred. This was most visible in the extirpated Maritimes walrus, where females had a unique cranium shape. Regional isotopic and genetic differences were also observed; we found regional differences in δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S, and identified multiple genetic clades coinciding with geographic populations. Overall, the comparative insight into the morphological, ecological, and genetic characteristics of different walrus populations sets a frame of reference for conservation management and from which to understand how each has been impacted by human exploitation and environmental changes in the past.

• More, Kuldeep D.; Lebrasseur, Ophélie; Garrido, Jaime Lira; Seguin‐Orlando, Andaine; Discamps, Emmanuel & Estrada, Oscar [Show all 65 contributors for this article] (2025). Validating a Target‐Enrichment Design for Capturing Uniparental Haplotypes in Ancient Domesticated Animals. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. 25(7). doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.14112. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the last three decades, DNA sequencing of ancient animal osteological assemblages has become an important tool complementing standard archaeozoological approaches to reconstruct the history of animal domestication. However, osteological assemblages of key archaeological contexts are not always available or do not necessarily preserve enough ancient DNA for a cost-effective genetic analysis. Here, we develop an in-solution target-enrichment approach, based on 80-mer species-specific RNA probes (ranging from 306 to 1686 per species) to characterise (in single experiments) the mitochondrial genetic variation from eight domesticated animal species of major economic interest: cattle, chickens, dogs, donkeys, goats, horses, pigs and sheep. We also illustrate how our design can be adapted to enrich DNA library content and map the Y-chromosomal diversity within Equus caballus. By applying our target-enrichment assay to an extensive panel of ancient osteological remains, farm soil, and cave sediments spanning the last 43 kyrs, we demonstrate that minimal sequencing efforts are necessary to exhaust the DNA library complexity and to characterise mitogenomes to an average depth-of-coverage of 19.4 to 2003.7-fold. Our assay further retrieved horse mitogenome and Y-chromosome data from Late Pleistocene coprolites, as well as bona fide mitochondrial sequences from species that were not part of the probe design, such as bison and cave hyena. Our methodology will prove especially useful to minimise costs related to the genetic analyses of maternal and paternal lineages of a wide range of domesticated and wild animal species, and for mapping their diversity changes over space and time, including from environmental samples.

• Sydenham, Markus A. K.; Nielsen, Anders; Dupont, Yoko L.; Rasmussen, Claus; Madsen, Henning B. & Torvanger, Marianne S. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Role of forest edges and other seminatural linear landscape features in structuring wild bee habitat connectivity in intensively managed landscapes. Conservation Biology. ISSN 0888-8892. 39(6). doi: 10.1111/cobi.70152. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pollinator conservation schemes typically focus on conserving existing, restoring degraded, or creating new wild bee habitats. Their effectiveness depends on dispersal corridors enabling habitat colonization by bees. However, the role of seminatural linear landscape structures (LLS) in connecting pollinator communities across intensively managed landscapes remains poorly understood. We analyzed 953 occurrences of wild bees comprising 79 nonparasitic species sampled at 68 study sites across a Norwegian and a Danish landscape. We first tested whether bee species richness was positively associated with the lengths of seminatural LLS in bee foraging ranges of study sites while controlling for local plant species richness. We then combined maps identifying seminatural LLS with least‐cost path (LCP) analysis to determine whether bee species compositional similarity, a proxy for connectivity, decreased as LCP length increased. The length of seminatural LLS, such as forest edges, was positively correlated with bee species richness and habitat connectivity. Specifically, wild bee species richness sampled along roadsides increased as the length of seminatural LLS increased in 1.5 km circles around the study sites, and increased as local plant species richness increased. The most likely dispersal routes between our bee communities tracked forest edges. The length of LCPs provided better models of bee species compositional similarity than geographic distance, suggesting that seminatural LLS, particularly forest edges, act as dispersal corridors in intensively managed landscapes. However, bee species compositional similarity among communities depended on site‐specific plant species richness and similarity in plant community composition, which highlights the importance of improving the habitat quality of seminatural LLS if they are to function as dispersal corridors. Our findings suggest that maps of LCPs can be used to identify important dispersal corridors between bee habitats and to direct wild bee habitat management actions along seminatural LLS to facilitate the dispersal of bees in intensively managed landscapes.

• Furness, Lydia Hildebrand; Sabin, Richard; Torvanger, Marianne Strand; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Barrett, James Harold & Star, Bastiaan (2025). Historical Collections of Tropical Marine Mammals Are an Excellent Resource for Ancient DNA. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. 25(7), p. 1–16. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.70015. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ABSTRACT The ability to predict ancient DNA sequencing success in natural history collections is critical to reducing the amount of destructive sampling of a finite resource. So far, studies investigating such success have predominantly focused on taxa with ranges restricted to temperate or cold environments at northern latitudes, which likely aids DNA preservation. Here, we report remarkably high aDNA sequencing success in Sirenia , herbivorous marine mammals of which the distribution is currently constrained to the global tropics. We investigate 91 samples from 85 specimens comprising all four contemporary species and one extinct species, comparing different sample types (cranial/post‐cranial bone, skin and cartilage), species, collections, and material age. We obtained remarkably high (e.g., > 20%) endogenous DNA preservation for the majority (e.g., ~57% percent) of samples. Sequencing success was linked to sample type, with cranial bones (including petrous and tympanic bones) yielding significantly higher endogenous DNA. Additionally, we obtained variable, but potentially superior DNA results for preserved cartilage and hide samples that can be associated with historical bone. Although such tissue is not always present, this type of material is easy to sample, with very limited destructive impacts on the associated bones, and we therefore highlight its untapped potential as a source of DNA. Overall, our results show the high success of ancient DNA retrieval from historical collections of species with a tropical distribution, expanding on the types of specimens that are available for temporal genomic analyses.

• Kersten, Oliver Sven; Star, Bastiaan; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Strøm, Hallvard; Jakobsen, Kjetill Sigurd & Boessenkool, Sanne (2025). Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin. Genome Biology and Evolution (GBE). 17(9), p. 1–17. doi: 10.1093/gbe/evaf162. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Arctic has been the scene for (re)colonization, diversification, and adaptation of boreal and Arctic fauna. As anthropogenic warming of the Arctic environment increases the extinction risk for peripheral populations, understanding patterns of local adaptation is imperative. The Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) comprises multiple genetically and morphologically distinct populations with an Arctic-boreal distribution. Yet, patterns of adaptation between these populations remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate potential adaptive divergence between High Arctic (F. a. naumanni) and boreal (F. a. arctica) puffin subspecies using whole-genome sequence data. We analyze different types of intraspecific DNA variation, including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants (SVs) and short tandem repeats (STRs). Patterns of elevated levels of genetic divergence vary across these types, with STRs uncovering the largest unique proportion (47.2%) of genomic outlier loci. Notably, 94.5% of all outlier genes are exclusive to one type of variation and several such genes are linked to phenotypic differences observed between these subspecies, including body size, skeletal development, adipose tissue accumulation and the sensory system. Our observations indicate that F. a. naumanni harbors unique genetic diversity within puffins suggesting adaptation to its Arctic environment. Importantly, we show that SNPs, SVs, and STRs capture distinct signals of adaptive divergence, underscoring the importance of integrating multiple genomic markers to fully understand the complexity of local adaptation. These results offer a broader perspective on genomic patterns of adaptive divergence in Arctic fauna and can inform conservation strategies aimed at preserving genetic diversity in the Atlantic puffin.

• Walker, Samuel James; Boilard, Aurélie; Henriksen, Mona; Lord, Edana; Robu, Marius & Buylaert, Jan-Pieter [Show all 28 contributors for this article] (2025). A 75,000-y-old Scandinavian Arctic cave deposit reveals past faunal diversity and paleoenvironment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 122(32), p. 1–10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2415008122. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the last glacial period (~118 to 11.7 ka), the Arctic has been characterized by a major redistribution of flora and fauna as a consequence of extreme climatic fluctuations, with associated glacial advances and retreats, sea-level changes, and shifting sea ice extent. In the high-latitude regions of Northern Europe that are currently subject to rapid climate warming, we lack a comprehensive understanding of faunal biodiversity in the last glacial period due to the extreme rarity of preserved organic remains. Here, we present a stratified sediment deposit with a diverse faunal composition preserved in a bone-bearing layer in Arne Qvamgrotta, part of the Storsteinhola cave system (68.10° N 16.38° E) in Northern Norway. Chronological analyses of sediments and bones including radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence, uranium–thorium, and phylogenetic dating place the faunal assemblage in Marine Isotope Stage 5a (MIS 5a, Odderade interstadial, ~85 to 71 ka). Combining comparative osteology and bulk-bone metabarcoding, we identify 46 taxa, including mammals, birds, and fish, with several species not previously found in Fennoscandia. The fauna implies a nonanalogous cold-adapted coastal community, with close proximity to sea ice and nearby freshwater bodies. Mitogenome analyses of a subset of taxa identify extinct lineages which attest to a lack of habitat tracking and the absence of a local refugium during the subsequent fully glaciated periods. This faunal record demonstrates long-term faunal dynamics and coastal environmental conditions during MIS 5a in the European Arctic.

• Dierickx, Katrien Alfred C; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Hurk, Youri van den; Frasier, Brenna A.; Sabin, Richard & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Ontogenetic changes and sexual dimorphism in the cranium and mandible of the Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus L.). The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology. ISSN 1932-8486. p. 1–29. doi: 10.1002/ar.70050. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Walruses have been an important subsistence and cultural resource for humans and have been exploited for millennia across their distribution. This exploitation has contributed to severe declines in several populations and local extirpations. The study of walrus remains from archaeological sites can provide insights into past exploitation strategies and contribute to improving current conservation practices. The ability to differentiate disarticulated skeletal remains by age and sex can provide insights into past herd compositions. While sexing is a well‐established approach for mandibles, a clear morphological key to determine such differentiation in crania is currently lacking. Here, linear measurements and geometric morphometrics of mandibles ( n  = 121) and crania ( n  = 116) of the Atlantic walrus ( Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus ) are used to describe the age and sex differences. Suture fusion states are strongly associated with age. There are clear size and shape differences between adults and neonates, with juveniles showing a gradual transition between states. Sexual dimorphism is clearly present in adults, but not detected in juveniles and neonates. Linear discriminant analysis successfully assigned sexes to 19 out of 21 (90.5%) DNA‐sexed adult test specimens. Comparatively, only two out of five juvenile test specimens were correctly sexed using morphometrics. We suggest that aging specimens using suture fusion states, followed by classification between adult males and females, provides the most accurate results. This classification technique will facilitate future osteological studies on walruses, for example, to understand their ecomorphology and to provide insight into historical age‐ and sex‐based exploitation and population impacts through time.

• Helmerson, Cecilia; Durant, Joël; Hoff, Siv Nam Khang; Brieuc, Marine Servane Ono; Berg, Paul Ragnar & Jorde, Per Erik [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2025). A century of anthropogenic perturbations impact genomic signatures of the iconic migratory Atlantic cod. Science Advances. 11(31). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3342. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Anthropogenic stressors have led to marked ecosystem perturbations, including population declines and shifts in habitat range for key marine fish species. Understanding how these changes affect genome-wide characteristics, causing long-term evolutionary responses, is still in its infancy. Genome-wide retrospective assessment of the iconic migratory Atlantic cod ( Gadus morhua ) from the Barents Sea, unraveled varying degree of admixture with the nonmigratory coastal ecotype throughout the 20th century, and intriguingly more intensified during recent decades. These genomic changes were supported by an increased number of individuals displaying the heterozygous state of the chromosomal inversion coupled to migratory behavior in Atlantic cod. Ecological models and genome-wide scans identified that some of the observed frequency shifts, coupled to neural development, metabolic, and growth regulation, covaried with intensified fisheries, reduced generation time, and ocean warming. Our results demonstrate how anthropogenic perturbations impact the dynamics between two well-known ecotypes of Atlantic cod and thus, their genomic signatures, with potential implications for future management programs.

• Eriksen, Emma Falkeid; Andrews, Adam Jon; Nielsen, Svein Vatsvåg; Persson, Per; Malca, Estrella & Onar, Vedat [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2025). Five millennia of mitonuclear discordance in Atlantic bluefin tuna identified using ancient DNA. Heredity. ISSN 0018-067X. 134, p. 175–185. doi: 10.1038/s41437-025-00745-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mitonuclear discordance between species is readily documented in marine fishes. Such discordance may either be the result of past natural phenomena or the result of recent introgression from previously seperated species after shifts in their spatial distributions. Using ancient DNA spanning five millennia, we here investigate the long-term presence of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) and albacore (Thunnus alalunga) -like mitochondrial (MT) genomes in Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), a species with extensive exploitation history and observed shifts in abundance and age structure. Comparing ancient (n = 130) and modern (n = 78) Atlantic bluefin MT genomes from most of its range, we detect no significant spatial or temporal population structure, which implies ongoing gene flow between populations and large effective population sizes over millennia. Moreover, we identify discordant MT haplotypes in ancient specimens up to 5000 years old and find that the frequency of these haplotypes has remained similar through time. We therefore conclude that MT discordance in the Atlantic bluefin tuna is not driven by recent introgression. Our observations provide oldest example of directly observed MT discordance in the marine environment, highlighting the utility of ancient DNA to obtain insights in the long-term persistence of such phenomena.

• Andrews, Adam Jon; Eriksen, Emma Falkeid; Star, Bastiaan; Præbel, Kim; Natale, Antonio Di & Malca, Estrella [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2025). Ancient DNA suggests a historical demographic decline and genetic erosion in the Atlantic bluefin tuna. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 122(21). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2409302122. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Overexploitation has depleted fish stocks during the past century; nonetheless, its genomic consequences remain poorly understood for most species. Characterizing the spatiotemporal patterns of these consequences may provide baseline estimates of past diversity and productivity to aid management targets, help predict future dynamics, and facilitate the identification of evolutionary factors limiting fish population recovery. Here, we evaluate human impacts on the evolution of the iconic Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), one of the longest and most intensely exploited marine fishes, with a tremendous cultural and economic importance. We sequenced whole genomes from modern (n = 49) and ancient (n = 41) specimens dating up to 5,000 y ago, uncovering several findings. First, we identify temporally stable patterns of population admixture, as bluefin tuna caught off Norway and in the eastern Mediterranean share a greater degree of ancestry with Gulf of Mexico bluefin tuna than western and central Mediterranean bluefin tuna. This suggests that Atlantic spawning areas are important mixing grounds for the genetic diversity of Mediterranean bluefin tuna. We model effective population size to show that Mediterranean bluefin tuna began to undergo a demographic decline by the year 1900 to an extent not observed across the previous millennia. Coinciding with this, we found that heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity were significantly lower in modern (2013 to 2020) than ancient (pre-1941) Mediterranean bluefin tuna, suggesting that bluefin tuna underwent a genetic bottleneck. With this work, we show how ancient DNA provides unique perspectives on ecological complexity with the potential to inform the management and conservation of fishes.

• Torvanger, Marianne Strand; Dupont, Yoko L.; Olesen, Jens M.; Rasmussen, Claus; Madsen, Henning Bang & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). The Distribution of Wild Bee Species Along a Latitudinal Gradient in Northern Europe Depends on Their Flower Preferences. Diversity and Distributions: A Journal of Conservation Biogeography. ISSN 1366-9516. 31(2), p. 1–13. doi: 10.1111/ddi.70001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aim: The functional diversity of bees contribute to the maintenance of plant biodiversity because different species of wild beesprefer and pollinate different plants. Many bees, in particular species with narrow flower preferences or specialised habitatrequirements, are threatened by landscape homogenisation and climate change. Nonetheless, we still lack an understanding oflarge-scale impacts of anthropogenic stressors on the distribution of wild bee species with different flower preferences.Location: Northern Europe: Norway, Denmark and Germany.Methods: We combine a dataset comprising ~30,000 observations of presences or absences of bee occurrences from structuredsurveys at 269 sites in northern Europe to investigate if flower preferences modulate species distributions across multiple envi-ronmental gradients. Bees were assigned a continuous functional trait separating preference for short vs. tubular flowers.Results: We observe that bee flower preference for either tubular flowers (Fabaceae) or plants with shallow flowers (includingApiaceae and Brassicaceae) can be described by a continuous flower preference trait score. The likelihood of observing a beealong a latitudinal gradient—encompassing variation in temperature, atmospheric N deposition and elevation—is dependent onits flower preference trait score. Specifically, bees with preferences for tubular flowers have a higher likelihood of occurrencewith higher latitudes, while bees with preference for non-tubular flowers increase towards the south.Main Conclusions: Our results improve our understanding of how species-specific variation in flower preferences drivescommunity-wide shifts in diversity and can therefore help devise region-specific conservation strategies. bees | conservation | functional ecology | gradients | landscape | pollinators | spatial distributions | traits | wild bee

• Furness, Lydia Hildebrand; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Boilard, Aurélie; Keith-Diagne, Lucy; Brito, Cristina & Barrett, James Harold [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Population structure of Dugong dugon across the Indo-Pacific revealed by historical mitogenomes. Royal Society Open Science. 11(8). doi: 10.1098/rsos.240599. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sirenia, an iconic marine taxon with a tropical and subtropical worldwide distribution, face an uncertain future. All species are designated ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction by the IUCN. Nonetheless, a comprehensive understanding of geographic structuring across the global range is lacking, impeding our ability to highlight particularly vulnerable populations for conservation priority. Here, we use ancient DNA to investigate dugong (Dugong dugon) population structure, analysing 56 mitogenomes from specimens comprising the known historical range. Our results reveal geographically structured and distinct monophyletic clades characterized by contrasting evolutionary histories. We observe deep-rooted and divergent lineages in the East (Indo-Pacific) and obtain new evidence for the relatively recent dispersal of dugongs into the western Indian Ocean. All populations are significantly differentiated from each other with western populations having approximately 10-fold lower levels of genetic variation than eastern Indo-Pacific populations. Additionally, we find a significant temporal loss of genetic diversity in western Indian Ocean dugongs since the mid-twentieth century, as well as a decline in population size beginning approximately 1000 years ago. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that dugong populations are becoming ever more susceptible to ongoing human action and global climate change.

• Sydenham, Markus A. K.; Nielsen, Anders; Dupont, Yoko L.; Rasmussen, Claus; Madsen, Henning Bang & Torvanger, Marianne Strand [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Forest edges and other semi-natural habitat edges increase wild bee species richness and habitat connectivity in intensively managed temperate landscapes. BioRxiv. ISSN 0362-4331. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.05.602209. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Pollinator conservation schemes are typically focused on conserving existing-, restoring degraded- or establishing new wild bee habitats. The effectiveness of such conservation schemes depends on the presence of dispersal corridors that allow habitat colonization by bees. Nonetheless, we lack an understanding of the role of semi-natural habitats edges on the connectivity of pollinator communities across intensively managed landscapes. Here, we use data from wild bee communities comprising 953 occurrences from 79 species of non-parasitic bees, sampled at 68 locations distributed across a Norwegian and a Danish landscape to show that the proportion of semi-natural habitat edges is positively correlated to bee species richness and habitat connectivity. Specifically, we found that wild bee species richness sampled along roadsides increased with the proportion of semi-natural habitat edges within1.5 km of the study sites and with local plant species richness. We combined maps showing the proportion of seminatural habitat edges with least cost path analysis to find the most likely dispersal route between our bee communities. We find that these least cost path lengths provide better models of bee species compositional similarity than geographic distance (|ΔAICc| > 2), suggesting that seminatural habitat edges act as dispersal corridors in intensively managed landscapes. However, we also find that compositional similarity between communities depend on site-specific plant species richness stressing the importance of improving the habitat quality of edge habitats if they are to function as dispersal corridors. We discuss potential management options for improving wild bee habitat conditions along seminatural habitat edges and illustrate how maps of least cost paths can be used to identify dispersal corridors between pollinator habitats of conservation priority. Maps of dispersal corridors can be used to direct wild bee habitat management actions along seminatural habitat edges to facilitate the dispersal of bees between larger grassland habitats. Bees, Connectivity, Conservation planning, Pollinators, Restoration, Grassland

• Boilard, Aurélie; Walker, Samuel James; Lødøen, Trond; Henriksen, Mona; Takken-Beijersbergen, Liselotte M. & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2024). Ancient DNA and osteological analyses of a unique paleo-archive reveal Early Holocene faunal expansion into the Scandinavian Arctic. Science Advances. 10(13). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk3032. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Paleo-archives are essential for our understanding of species responses to climate warming, yet such archives are extremely rare in the Arctic. Here, we combine morphological analyses and bulk-bone metabarcoding to investigate a unique chronology of bone deposits sealed in the high-latitude Storsteinhola cave system (68°50′ N 16°22′ E) in Norway. This deposit dates to a period of climate warming from the end of the Late Glacial [~13 thousand calibrated years before the present (ka cal B.P.)] to the Holocene thermal maximum (~5.6 ka cal B.P.). Paleogenetic analyses allow us to exploit the 1000s of morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments resulting in a high-resolution sequence with 40 different taxa, including species not previously found here. Our record reveals borealization in both the marine and terrestrial environments above the Arctic Circle as a naturally recurring phenomenon in past periods of warming, providing fundamental insights into the ecosystem-wide responses that are ongoing today.

• Cobb, Lauren Louise; Muinck, Eric de; Kollias, Spyridon; Skage, Morten; Gilfillan, Gregor & Sydenham, Markus A. K. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). High-throughput sequencing of insect specimens with sub-optimal DNA preservation using a practical, plate-based Illumina-compatible Tn5 transposase library preparation method. PLOS ONE. 19(3). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300865. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Entomological sampling and storage conditions often prioritise efficiency, practicality and conservation of morphological characteristics, and may therefore be suboptimal for DNA preservation. This practice can impact downstream molecular applications, such as the generation of high-throughput genomic libraries, which often requires substantial DNA input amounts. Here, we use a practical Tn5 transposase tagmentation-based library preparation method optimised for 96-well plates and low yield DNA extracts from insect legs that were stored under sub-optimal conditions for DNA preservation. The samples were kept in field vehicles for extended periods of time, before long-term storage in ethanol in the freezer, or dry at room temperature. By reducing DNA input to 6ng, more samples with sub-optimal DNA yields could be processed. We matched this low DNA input with a 6-fold dilution of a commercially available tagmentation enzyme, significantly reducing library preparation costs. Costs and workload were further suppressed by direct post-amplification pooling of individual libraries. We generated medium coverage (>3-fold) genomes for 88 out of 90 specimens, with an average of approximately 10-fold coverage. While samples stored in ethanol yielded significantly less DNA compared to those which were stored dry, these samples had superior sequencing statistics, with longer sequencing reads and higher rates of endogenous DNA. Furthermore, we find that the efficiency of tagmentation-based library preparation can be improved by a thorough post-amplification bead clean-up which selects against both short and large DNA fragments. By opening opportunities for the use of sub-optimally preserved, low yield DNA extracts, we broaden the scope of whole genome studies of insect specimens. We therefore expect these results and this protocol to be valuable for a range of applications in the field of entomology.

• Aanes, Håvard; Vigeland, Magnus Dehli; Star, Bastiaan; Gilfillan, Gregor; Mattingsdal, Morten & Trøan, Simon [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Heating up three cold cases in Norway using investigative genetic genealogy. Forensic Science International: Genetics. ISSN 1872-4973. doi: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2024.103217. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With the advent of commercial DNA databases, investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has emerged as a powerful forensic tool, rivalling the impact of STR analyses, introduced four decades ago. IGG has been frequently applied in the US and tested in other countries, but never in Norway. Here, we apply IGG to three cold criminal cases and successfully identify the donor of the DNA in two of these cases. Our findings suggest that when combined with phenotypic prediction and case information, IGG holds substantial potential for resolving both active and cold cases in Norway. This potential is amplified by the digitalization of archives and the transparent and structured nature of society in Norway. Additionally, the databases exhibit sufficient representation to yield matches with distant relatives. Moreover, this work has uncovered a series of lingering research questions spanning the entire workflow from DNA extraction to genealogy research. Finally, we highlight the possibility that more insights can be gleaned from genetic profiles, for instance using an accurate age prediction method. The results show that IGG can be successfully applied in Norway, having reached a level of maturity that enables identification of unknown individuals in cases where DNA is accessible.

• Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Cuevas, Angelica; Ferrari, Giada; Hufthammer, Anne Karin; Vedeler, Marianne & Hirons, Alex [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Tracing 600 years of long-distance Atlantic cod trade in medieval and post-medieval Oslo using stable isotopes and ancient DNA. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 291(2035). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2019. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Marine resources have been important for the survival and economic development of coastal human communities across northern Europe for millennia. Knowledge of the origin of such historic resources can provide key insights into fishing practices and the spatial extent of trade networks. Here, we combine ancient DNA and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, non-exchangeable δ2H and δ34S) to investigate the geographical origin of archaeological cod remains in Oslo from the eleventh to seventeenth centuries CE. Our findings provide genetic evidence that Atlantic cod was obtained from different geographical populations, including a variety of distant-water populations like northern Norway and possibly Iceland. Evidence for such long-distance cod trade is already observed from the eleventh century, contrasting with archaeological and historical evidence from Britain and other areas of Continental Europe around the North and Baltic Seas, where such trade increased during the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries. The genomic assignments of specimens to different populations coincide with significantly different δ13C values between those same specimens, indicating that multiple Atlantic cod populations living in different environments were exploited. This research provides novel information about the exploitation timeline of specific Atlantic cod stocks and highlights the utility of combining ancient DNA (aDNA) methods and stable isotope analysis to describe the development of medieval and post-medieval marine fisheries.

• Atmore, Lane; Jagt, Inge van der; Boilard, Aurélie; Häberle, Simone; Blevis, Rachel & Dierickx, Katrien Alfred C [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). The Once and Future Fish: Assessing a Millennium of Atlantic Herring Exploitation Through Mixed-Stock Analysis and Ancient DNA. Global Change Biology. ISSN 1354-1013. 30(12). doi: 10.1111/gcb.70010. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Small pelagic fish support profitable fisheries and are important for food security around the world. Yet, their sustainable management can be hindered by the indiscriminate impacts of simultaneous exploitation of fish from multiple distinct biological populations over extended periods of time. The quantification of such impacts is greatly facilitated by recently developed molecular tools—including diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels for mixed-stock analysis (MSA)—that can accurately detect the population identity of individual fish. However, the biological relevance of such tools over longer periods of time remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that diagnostic SNP panels designed for contemporary MSA in Atlantic herring have a millennium-long biological relevance and applicability. We assign the population identity of ancient Atlantic herring specimens—obtained through famously profitable historic fisheries—up to 1300 years old from eight archaeological sites across Europe. Analyzing contemporary and ancient whole-genome data, we obtain evidence for the long-term mixed-stock exploitation of Atlantic herring. Despite such mixed-stock exploitation, we exclusively identify autumn-spawning herring amongst these archaeological remains, indicative of a specific biological availability or cultural preference for certain herring ecotypes in the past. Moreover, our results show that herring demographic patterns were relatively stable until the dramatic disruptions and stock collapses during the 20th century. We find small but significant reductions in genetic diversity over time, indicating long-term evolutionary consequences from 20th-century stock declines. The long-term applicability of diagnostic SNP panels underscores their biological relevance and cost-effective application for the genetic monitoring of herring stocks and highlights the utility of ancient DNA to obtain insights in herring ecology and population dynamics.

• Reid, Brendan N.; Star, Bastiaan & Pinsky, Malin L. (2023). Detecting parallel polygenic adaptation to novel evolutionary pressure in wild populations: a case study in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8436. 378(1881), p. 1–9. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0190. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Populations can adapt to novel selection pressures through dramatic frequency changes in a few genes of large effect or subtle shifts in many genes of small effect. The latter (polygenic adaptation) is expected to be the primary mode of evolution for many life-history traits but tends to be more difficult to detect than changes in genes of large effect. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were subjected to intense fishing pressure over the twentieth century, leading to abundance crashes and a phenotypic shift toward earlier maturation across many populations. Here, we use spatially replicated temporal genomic data to test for a shared polygenic adaptive response to fishing using methods previously applied to evolve-and-resequence experiments. Cod populations on either side of the Atlantic show covariance in allele frequency change across the genome that are characteristic of recent polygenic adaptation. Using simulations, we demonstrate that the degree of covariance in allele frequency change observed in cod is unlikely to be explained by neutral processes or background selection. As human pressures on wild populations continue to increase, understanding and attributing modes of adaptation using methods similar to those demonstrated here will be important in identifying the capacity for adaptive responses and evolutionary rescue.

• Kersten, Oliver Sven; Star, Bastiaan; Krabberød, Anders Kristian; Atmore, Lane; Tørresen, Ole K. & Anker-Nilssen, Tycho [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2023). Hybridization of Atlantic puffins in the Arctic coincides with 20th-century climate change. Science Advances. 9(40). doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1407. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Arctic is experiencing the fastest rates of global warming,leading to shifts in the distribution of its biota and increasing the potential for hybridization. However, genomic evidenc eof recent hybridization events in the Arctic remains unexpectedly rare. Here, we use whole-genome sequencing of contemporary and 122-year-old historical specimens to investigate the origin of an Arctic hybrid population of Atlantic puffins(Fratercula arctica) on Bjørnøya, Norway. We show that the hybridization between the High Arctic, large-bodied subspecies F.a. naumanni and the temperate, smaller-sized subspecies F.a. arctica began as recently as six generations ago due to an unexpected southward range expansion of F.a. naumanni. Moreover, we find a significant temporal loss of genetic diversity across Arctic and temperate puffin populations.Our observations provide compelling genomic evidence of the impacts of recent distributional shifts and loss of diversity in Arctic communities during the 20th century.

• Ruiz-Puerta, Emily J.; Keighley, Xénia; Desjardins, Sean P. A.; Gotfredsen, Anne Birgitte; Pan, Shyong En & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2023). Holocene deglaciation drove rapid genetic diversification of Atlantic walrus. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 290(2007). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1349. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapid global warming is severely impacting Arctic ecosystems and is predicted to transform the abundance, distribution and genetic diversity of Arctic species, though these linkages are poorly understood. We address this gap in knowledge using palaeogenomics to examine how earlier periods of global warming influenced the genetic diversity of Atlantic walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus), a species closely associated with sea ice and shallow-water habitats. We analysed 82 ancient and historical Atlantic walrus mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes), including now-extinct populations in Iceland and the Canadian Maritimes, to reconstruct the Atlantic walrus' response to Arctic deglaciation. Our results demonstrate that the phylogeography and genetic diversity of Atlantic walrus populations was initially shaped by the last glacial maximum (LGM), surviving in distinct glacial refugia, and subsequently expanding rapidly in multiple migration waves during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The timing of diversification and establishment of distinct populations corresponds closely with the chronology of the glacial retreat, pointing to a strong link between walrus phylogeography and sea ice. Our results indicate that accelerated ice loss in the modern Arctic may trigger further dispersal events, likely increasing the connectivity of northern stocks while isolating more southerly stocks putatively caught in small pockets of suitable habitat.

• Leigh, Deborah M.; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Star, Bastiaan; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Burnham, Kurt & Johnson, Jeff [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Sympatry of genetically distinct Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) in the High Arctic. IBIS. ISSN 0019-1019. 165(3), p. 1022–1030. doi: 10.1111/ibi.13153. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Across its range, the Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica is divided into four separate genetic clusters that correspond with geography and/or size differences. However, in the Western Atlantic High Arctic, there is a Puffin colony (Thule) that comprises two discrete size phenotypes. Using whole genome sequencing data of six Thule individuals from these two phenotypes, we found that Thule consists of three distinct genetic clusters, with no signs of recent interbreeding. Our results suggest the beginnings of a potential northward shift of boreal Atlantic Puffins in the West Atlantic, consistent with responses to a warming High Arctic climate. climate change, genomics, Greenland, seabird

• Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Ferrari, Giada; Cuevas, Angelica; Atmore, Lane Margaret; López-Arias, Begoña & Culling, Mark [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2022). Ancient DNA evidence for the ecological globalization of cod fishing in medieval and post-medieval Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 289(1985). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1107. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Understanding the historical emergence and growth of long-range fisheries can provide fundamental insights into the timing of ecological impacts and the development of coastal communities during the last millennium. Whole-genome sequencing approaches can improve such understanding by determining the origin of archaeological fish specimens that may have been obtained from historic trade or distant water. Here, we used genome-wide data to individually infer the biological source of 37 ancient Atlantic cod specimens (ca 1050–1950 CE) from England and Spain. Our findings provide novel genetic evidence that eleventh- to twelfth-century specimens from London were predominantly obtained from nearby populations, while thirteenth- to fourteenth-century specimens were derived from distant sources. Our results further suggest that Icelandic cod was indeed exported to London earlier than previously reported. Our observations confirm the chronology and geography of the trans-Atlantic cod trade from Newfoundland to Spain starting by the early sixteenth century. Our findings demonstrate the utility of whole-genome sequencing and ancient DNA approaches to describe the globalization of marine fisheries and increase our understanding regarding the extent of the North Atlantic fish trade and long-range fisheries in medieval and early modern times.

• Matschiner, Michael; Barth, Julia Maria Isis; Tørresen, Ole K.; Star, Bastiaan; Baalsrud, Helle Tessand & Brieuc, Marine Servane Ono [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2022). Supergene origin and maintenance in Atlantic cod. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 6(4), p. 469–481. doi: 10.1038/s41559-022-01661-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Supergenes are sets of genes that are inherited as a single marker and encode complex phenotypes through their joint action. They are identified in an increasing number of organisms, yet their origins and evolution remain enigmatic. In Atlantic cod, four megabase-scale supergenes have been identified and linked to migratory lifestyle and environmental adaptations. Here we investigate the origin and maintenance of these four supergenes through analysis of whole-genome-sequencing data, including a new long-read-based genome assembly for a non-migratory Atlantic cod individual. We corroborate the finding that chromosomal inversions underlie all four supergenes, and we show that they originated at different times between 0.40 and 1.66 million years ago. We reveal gene flux between supergene haplotypes where migratory and stationary Atlantic cod co-occur and conclude that this gene flux is driven by gene conversion, on the basis of an increase in GC content in exchanged sites. Additionally, we find evidence for double crossover between supergene haplotypes, leading to the exchange of an ~275 kilobase fragment with genes potentially involved in adaptation to low salinity in the Baltic Sea. Our results suggest that supergenes can be maintained over long timescales in the same way as hybridizing species, through the selective purging of introduced genetic variation.

• Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Ferrari, Giada; Hufthammer, Anne Karin; Jakobsen, Kjetill Sigurd; Jentoft, Sissel & Barrett, James Harold [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Ancient DNA reveals a southern presence of the Northeast Arctic cod during the Holocene. Biology Letters. ISSN 1744-9561. 18(5). doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0021. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Climate change has been implicated in an increased number of distributional shifts of marine species during the last century. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether earlier climatic fluctuations had similar impacts. We use ancient DNA to investigate the long-term spawning distribution of the Northeast Arctic cod (skrei) which performs yearly migrations from the Barents Sea towards spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast. The distribution of these spawning grounds has shifted northwards during the last century, which is thought to be associated with food availability and warming temperatures. We genetically identify skrei specimens from Ruskeneset in west Norway, an archaeological site located south of their current spawning range. Remarkably, 14C analyses date these specimens to the late Holocene, when temperatures were warmer than present-day conditions. Our results either suggest that temperature is not the only driver influencing the spawning distribution of Atlantic cod, or could be indicative of uncertainty in palaeoclimate reconstructions in this region. Regardless, our findings highlight the utility of aDNA to reconstruct the historical distribution of economically important fish populations and reveal the complexity of long-term ecological interactions in the marine environment.

• Atmore, Lane Margaret; Ferrari, Giada; Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Jagt, Inge van der; Blevis, Rachel & Granado, José [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2022). Ancient DNA sequence quality is independent of fish bone weight. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 149. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2022.105703. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The field of ancient DNA (aDNA) typically uses between 50 and 200 mg of minimum input weight of bone material for the extraction of DNA from archaeological remains. While laboratory and analysis techniques have focused on improved efficiency of extracting useable sequence data from older and poorer quality remains, bone material input requirements have rarely been critically evaluated. Here, we present the aDNA analysis of 121 size-constrained Atlantic herring remains – weighing between <10 and 70 mg – that were individually sequenced to explore the capacity of successful aDNA retrieval from small archaeological remains. We statistically evaluate the relationship between bone weight and several response variables, including library success, endogenous DNA content, and library complexity, i.e., the number of unique molecules that are obtained. Remarkably, we find no relationship between bone weight and library success, levels of endogenous DNA, or library complexity. Our results imply that – at least in the case of fish bone – even minute bones can yield positive results and that the presumed minimum sample size required should be re-evaluated. Archaeological site, instead of bone size, is the primary driver of DNA sequence quality. Our work expands the number of specimens considered suitable for aDNA analyses, and therefore facilitates efforts to minimize the destructive impact of aDNA research and mediate some of the ethical concerns surrounding destructive analysis.

• Atmore, Lane Margaret; Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Makowiecki, Daniel; André, Carl; Lõugas, Lembi & Barrett, James [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Population dynamics of Baltic herring since the Viking Age revealed by ancient DNA and genomics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 119(45). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2208703119. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The world’s oceans are currently facing major stressors in the form of overexploitation and anthropogenic climate change. The Baltic Sea was home to the first “industrial” fishery ∼800 y ago targeting the Baltic herring, a species that is still economically and culturally important today. Yet, the early origins of marine industries and the long-term ecological consequences of historical and contemporary fisheries remain debated. Here, we study long-term population dynamics of Baltic herring to evaluate the past impacts of humans on the marine environment. We combine modern whole-genome data with ancient DNA (aDNA) to identify the earliest-known long-distance herring trade in the region, illustrating that extensive fish trade began during the Viking Age. We further resolve population structure within the Baltic and observe demographic independence for four local herring stocks over at least 200 generations. It has been suggested that overfishing at Øresund in the 16th century resulted in a demographic shift from autumn-spawning to spring-spawning herring dominance in the Baltic. We show that while the Øresund fishery had a negative impact on the western Baltic herring stock, the demographic shift to spring-spawning dominance did not occur until the 20th century. Instead, demographic reconstructions reveal population trajectories consistent with expected impacts of environmental change and historical reports on shifting fishing targets over time. This study illustrates the joint impact of climate change and human exploitation on marine species as well as the role historical ecology can play in conservation and management policies.

• Oosting, Tom; Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Ferrari, Giada; Verry, Alexander J. F.; Scarsbrook, Lachie & Rawlence, Nicolas J. [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Mitochondrial genomes reveal mid-Pleistocene population divergence, and post-glacial expansion, in Australasian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus). Heredity. ISSN 0018-067X. 130, p. 30–39. doi: 10.1038/s41437-022-00579-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Glacial cycles play important roles in determining the phylogeographic structure of terrestrial species, however, relatively little is known about their impacts on the distribution of marine biota. This study utilised modern ( n  = 350) and ancient ( n  = 26) mitochondrial genomes from Australasian snapper ( Chrysophrys auratus ) sampled in New Zealand to assess their demographic and phylogeographic history. We also tested for changes in genetic diversity using the up to 750-year-old mitochondrial genomes from pre-European archaeological sites to assess the potential impacts of human exploitation. Nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity was high (π = 0.005, h   =  0.972). There was no significant change in nucleotide diversity over the last 750 years ( p  = 0.343), with no detectable loss of diversity as a result of indigenous and industrial-scale fishing activity. While there was no evidence for contemporary population structure (AMOVA, p  = 0.764), phylogeographic analyses identified two distinct mitochondrial clades that diverged approximately 650,000 years ago during the mid-Pleistocene, suggesting the species experienced barriers to gene flow when sea levels dropped over 120 m during previous glacial maxima. An exponential population increase was also observed around 8000 years ago consistent with a post-glacial expansion, which was likely facilitated by increased ocean temperatures and rising sea levels. This study demonstrates that glacial cycles likely played an important role in the demographic history of C. auratus and adds to our growing understanding of how dynamic climatic changes have influenced the evolution of coastal marine species.

• Barrett, James; Khamaiko, Natalia; Ferrari, Giada; Cuevas, Angelica; Kneale, Catherine & Hufthammer, Anne Karin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Walruses on the Dnieper: new evidence for the intercontinental trade of Greenlandic ivory in the Middle Ages. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 289(1972), p. 1–9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2773. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mediaeval walrus hunting in Iceland and Greenland—driven by Western European demand for ivory and walrus hide ropes—has been identified as an important pre-modern example of ecological globalization. By contrast, the main origin of walrus ivory destined for eastern European markets, and then onward trade to Asia, is assumed to have been Arctic Russia. Here, we investigate the geographical origin of nine twelfth-century CE walrus specimens discovered in Kyiv, Ukraine—combining archaeological typology (based on chaîne opératoire assessment), ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analysis. We show that five of seven specimens tested using aDNA can be genetically assigned to a western Greenland origin. Moreover, six of the Kyiv rostra had been sculpted in a way typical of Greenlandic imports to Western Europe, and seven are tentatively consistent with a Greenland origin based on stable isotope analysis. Our results suggest that demand for the products of Norse Greenland's walrus hunt stretched not only to Western Europe but included Ukraine and, by implication given linked trade routes, also Russia, Byzantium and Asia. These observations illuminate the surprising scale of mediaeval ecological globalization and help explain the pressure this process exerted on distant wildlife populations and those who harvested them.

• Kersten, Oliver; Star, Bastiaan; Leigh, Deborah M.; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Strøm, Hallvard & Danielsen, Jóhannis [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Complex population structure of the Atlantic puffin revealed by whole genome analyses. Communications Biology. 4. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02415-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The factors underlying gene flow and genomic population structure in vagile seabirds are notoriously difficult to understand due to their complex ecology with diverse dispersal barriers and extensive periods at sea. Yet, such understanding is vital for conservation management of seabirds that are globally declining at alarming rates. Here, we elucidate the population structure of the Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) by assembling its reference genome and analyzing genome-wide resequencing data of 72 individuals from 12 colonies. We identify four large, genetically distinct clusters, observe isolation-by-distance between colonies within these clusters, and obtain evidence for a secondary contact zone. These observations disagree with the current taxonomy, and show that a complex set of contemporary biotic factors impede gene flow over different spatial scales. Our results highlight the power of whole genome data to reveal unexpected population structure in vagile marine seabirds and its value for seabird taxonomy, evolution and conservation.

• Trucchi, Emiliano; Benazzo, Andrea; Lari, Martina; Iob, Alice; Vai, Stefania & Nanni, Laura [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2021). Ancient genomes reveal early Andean farmers selected common beans while preserving diversity. Nature Plants. ISSN 2055-026X. 7, p. 123–128. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00848-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  All crops are the product of a domestication process that started less than 12,000 years ago from one or more wild populations1,2. Farmers selected desirable phenotypic traits (such as improved energy accumulation, palatability of seeds and reduced natural shattering3) while leading domesticated populations through several more or less gradual demographic contractions2,4. As a consequence, the erosion of wild genetic variation5 is typical of modern cultivars, making them highly susceptible to pathogens, pests and environmental change6,7. The loss of genetic diversity hampers further crop improvement programmes to increase food production in a changing world, posing serious threats to food security8,9. Using both ancient and modern seeds, we analysed the temporal dynamics of genetic variation and selection during the domestication process of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the southern Andes. Here, we show that most domestic traits were selected for before 2,500 years ago, with no or only minor loss of whole-genome heterozygosity. In fact, most of the changes at coding genes and linked regions that differentiate wild and domestic genomes are already present in the ancient genomes analysed here, and all ancient domestic genomes dated between 600 and 2,500 years ago are highly variable (at least as variable as modern genomes from the wild). Single seeds from modern cultivars show reduced variation when compared with ancient seeds, indicating that intensive selection within cultivars in the past few centuries probably partitioned ancestral variation within different genetically homogenous cultivars. When cultivars from different Andean regions are pooled, the genomic variation of the pool is higher than that observed in the pool of ancient seeds from north and central western Argentina. Considering that most desirable phenotypic traits are probably controlled by multiple polymorphic genes10, a plausible explanation of this decoupling of selection and genetic erosion is that early farmers applied a relatively weak selection pressure2 by using many phenotypically similar but genetically diverse individuals as parents. Our results imply that selection strategies during the past few centuries, as compared with earlier times, more intensively reduced genetic variation within cultivars and produced further improvements by focusing on a few plants carrying the traits of interest, at the cost of marked genetic erosion within Andean landraces.

• Pinsky, Malin L.; Eikeset, Anne Maria; Helmerson, Cecilia Jenny Margareta Thomas; Bradbury, Ian R.; Bentzen, Paul & Morris, Corey [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Genomic stability through time despite decades of exploitation in cod on both sides of the Atlantic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). ISSN 0027-8424. 118(15). doi: 10.1073/pnas.2025453118. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The mode and extent of rapid evolution and genomic change in response to human harvesting are key conservation issues. Although experiments and models have shown a high potential for both genetic and phenotypic change in response to fishing, empirical examples of genetic responses in wild populations are rare. Here, we compare whole-genome sequence data of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) that were collected before (early 20th century) and after (early 21st century) periods of intensive exploitation and rapid decline in the age of maturation from two geographically distinct populations in Newfoundland, Canada, and the northeast Arctic, Norway. Our temporal, genome-wide analyses of 346,290 loci show no substantial loss of genetic diversity and high effective population sizes. Moreover, we do not find distinct signals of strong selective sweeps anywhere in the genome, although we cannot rule out the possibility of highly polygenic evolution. Our observations suggest that phenotypic change in these populations is not constrained by irreversible loss of genomic variation and thus imply that former traits could be reestablished with demographic recovery.

• Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Ferrari, Giada; Oosting, Tom; Ballantyne, Rachel; Jagt, Inge van der & Ystgaard, Ingrid [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2021). Historical demographic processes dominate genetic variation in ancient Atlantic cod mitogenomes. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 9, p. 1–14. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2021.671281. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches have been successfully used to infer the long-term impacts of climate change, domestication, and human exploitation in a range of terrestrial species. Nonetheless, studies investigating such impacts using aDNA in marine species are rare. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), is an economically important species that has experienced dramatic census population declines during the last century. Here, we investigated 48 ancient mitogenomes from historical specimens obtained from a range of archeological excavations in northern Europe dated up to 6,500 BCE. We compare these mitogenomes to those of 496 modern conspecifics sampled across the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. Our results confirm earlier observations of high levels of mitogenomic variation and a lack of mutation-drift equilibrium—suggestive of population expansion. Furthermore, our temporal comparison yields no evidence of measurable mitogenomic changes through time. Instead, our results indicate that mitogenomic variation in Atlantic cod reflects past demographic processes driven by major historical events (such as oscillations in sea level) and subsequent gene flow rather than contemporary fluctuations in stock abundance. Our results indicate that historical and contemporaneous anthropogenic pressures such as commercial fisheries have had little impact on mitogenomic diversity in a wide-spread marine species with high gene flow such as Atlantic cod. These observations do not contradict evidence that overfishing has had negative consequences for the abundance of Atlantic cod and the importance of genetic variation in implementing conservation strategies. Instead, these observations imply that any measures toward the demographic recovery of Atlantic cod in the eastern Atlantic, will not be constrained by recent loss of historical mitogenomic variation.

• Ferrari, Giada; Cuevas, Angelica; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa; Ballantyne, Rachel; Kersten, Oliver & Palsdottir, Albina Hulda [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2021). The preservation of ancient DNA in archaeological fish bone. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 126(105317). doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2020.105317. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The field of ancient DNA is dominated by studies focusing on terrestrial vertebrates. This taxonomic bias limits our understanding of endogenous DNA preservation for species with different bone physiology, such as teleost fish. Teleost bone is typically brittle, porous, lightweight, and is characterized by a lack of bone remodeling during growth. All of these factors potentially affect DNA preservation. Using high-throughput shotgun sequencing, we here investigate the preservation of DNA in a range of different bone elements from over 200 archaeological Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) specimens from 38 sites in northern Europe, dating up to 8000 years before present. We observe that the majority of archaeological sites (79%) yield endogenous DNA, with 40% of sites providing samples containing high levels (>20%). Library preparation success and levels of endogenous DNA depend mainly on excavation site and pre-extraction laboratory treatment. The use of pre-extraction treatments lowers the rate of libraries that can be sequenced, although — if successful — the fraction of endogenous DNA can be improved by several orders of magnitude. This trade-off between library preparation success and levels of endogenous DNA allows for alternative extraction strategies depending on the requirements of down-stream analyses and research questions. Finally, we do not find particular bone elements to yield higher levels of endogenous DNA, as is the case for denser bones in mammals. Our results highlight the potential of archaeological fish bone as a source for ancient DNA and suggest a possible role of bone remodeling in the preservation of endogenous DNA.

• Ferrari, Giada; Atmore, Lane Margaret; Jentoft, Sissel; Jakobsen, Kjetill Sigurd; Makowiecki, Daniel & Barrett, James [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). An accurate assignment test for extremely low-coverage whole-genome sequence data. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. p. 1–15. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13551. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Genomic assignment tests can provide important diagnostic biological characteristics, such as population of origin or ecotype. Yet, assignment tests often rely on moderate- to high-coverage sequence data that can be difficult to obtain for fields such as molecular ecology and ancient DNA. We have developed a novel approach that efficiently assigns biologically relevant information (i.e., population identity or structural variants such as inversions) in extremely low-coverage sequence data. First, we generate databases from existing reference data using a subset of diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with a biological characteristic. Low-coverage alignment files are subsequently compared to these databases to ascertain allelic state, yielding a joint probability for each association. To assess the efficacy of this approach, we assigned haplotypes and population identity in Heliconius butterflies, Atlantic herring, and Atlantic cod using chromosomal inversion sites and whole-genome data. We scored both modern and ancient specimens, including the first whole-genome sequence data recovered from ancient Atlantic herring bones. The method accurately assigns biological characteristics, including population membership, using extremely low-coverage data (as low as 0.0001x) based on genome-wide SNPs. This approach will therefore increase the number of samples in evolutionary, ecological and archaeological research for which relevant biological information can be obtained.

• Riiser, Even Sannes; Haverkamp, Thomas Hendricus Augustus; Varadharajan, Srinidhi; Borgan, Ørnulf; Jakobsen, Kjetill Sigurd & Jentoft, Sissel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Metagenomic Shotgun Analyses Reveal Complex Patterns of Intra- and Interspecific Variation in the Intestinal Microbiomes of Codfishes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. ISSN 0099-2240. 86(6), p. 1–16. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02788-19. Full text in Research Archive
• Riiser, Even Sannes; Haverkamp, Thomas Hendricus Augustus; Varadharajan, Srinidhi; Borgan, Ørnulf; Jakobsen, Kjetill Sigurd & Jentoft, Sissel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Switching on the light: using metagenomic shotgun sequencing to characterize the intestinal microbiome of Atlantic cod. Environmental Microbiology. ISSN 1462-2912. 21(7), p. 2576–2594. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.14652. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is an ecologically important species with a wide‐spread distribution in the North Atlantic Ocean, yet little is known about the diversity of its intestinal microbiome in its natural habitat. No geographical differentiation in this microbiome was observed based on 16S rRNA amplicon analyses, yet such finding may result from an inherent lack of power of this method to resolve fine‐scaled biological complexity. Here, we use metagenomic shotgun sequencing to investigate the intestinal microbiome of 19 adult Atlantic cod individuals from two coastal populations in Norway–located 470 km apart. Resolving the species community to unprecedented resolution, we identify two abundant species, Photobacterium iliopiscarium and Photobacterium kishitanii, which comprise over 50% of the classified reads. Interestingly, the intestinal P. kishitanii strains have functionally intact lux genes, and its high abundance suggests that fish intestines form an important part of its ecological niche. These observations support a hypothesis that bioluminescence plays an ecological role in the marine food web. Despite our improved taxonomical resolution, we identify no geographical differences in bacterial community structure, indicating that the intestinal microbiome of these coastal cod is colonized by a limited number of closely related bacterial species with a broad geographical distribution.

• Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Gondek, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Sexing Viking Age horses from burial and non-burial sites in Iceland using ancient DNA. Journal of Archaeological Science. ISSN 0305-4403. 101, p. 115–122. doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2018.11.007. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Horses are the most common grave goods found in Icelandic Viking Age graves. Horse skeletons have previously been sexed based on pelvis shape and the presence of canine teeth in male horses over 4–5 years of age. Morphological data has shown that all horses from Icelandic burials that were amenable to sexing were male. Yet the use of morphological methods to determine sex is problematic since they rely on finding a well-preserved pelvis and/or robust canine teeth. Furthermore, quantitative data underlying the features of the horse pelvis used for sexing is lacking and canine teeth have been reported to occur in mares. In this study we build upon and extend recently developed methodologies to make use of shotgun sequencing of ancient DNA (aDNA) for molecular sexing of Viking Age horse remains. With minimal sequencing effort we identified the sex of the largest collection (n = 22) of Viking Age Icelandic horses studied to date, sourced from both burial (n = 19) and non-burial (n = 3) sites. Our results revealed a male to female sex bias ratio of 18:1 in burial sites, versus 0:3 in non-burial sites. These findings support the significant over-representation of male horses in Viking Age graves in Iceland, yet show that –albeit rare– mares could also be selected for ritual burial in Viking Age Iceland. This cost-effective method provides statistical confidence to allow for sexing of highly fragmented archaeological specimens with low endogenous DNA content.

• Fages, Antoine; Hanghøj, Kristian; Khan, Naveed; Gaunitz, Charleen; Seguin-Orlando, Andaine & Leonardi, Michela [Show all 121 contributors for this article] (2019). Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series. Cell. ISSN 0092-8674. 177(6), p. 1419–1435. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.049. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN "speed gene," only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management.</p>

• Barth, Julia Maria Isis; Villegas-Ríos, David; Freitas, Carla; Moland, Even; Star, Bastiaan & André, Carl [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2019). Disentangling structural genomic and behavioral barriers in a sea of connectivity. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 28(6), p. 1394–1411. doi: 10.1111/mec.15010. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Genetic divergence among populations arises through natural selection or drift and is counteracted by connectivity and gene flow. In sympatric populations, isolating mechanisms are thus needed to limit the homogenizing effects of gene flow to allow for adaptation and speciation. Chromosomal inversions act as an important mechanism maintaining isolating barriers, yet their role in sympatric populations and divergence with gene flow is not entirely understood. Here, we revisit the question of whether inversions play a role in the divergence of connected populations of the marine fish Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), by exploring a unique data set combining whole‐genome sequencing data and behavioural data obtained with acoustic telemetry. Within a confined fjord environment, we find three genetically differentiated Atlantic cod types belonging to the oceanic North Sea population, the western Baltic population and a local fjord‐type cod. Continuous behavioural tracking over 4 year revealed temporally stable sympatry of these types within the fjord. Despite overall weak genetic differentiation consistent with high levels of gene flow, we detected significant frequency shifts of three previously identified inversions, indicating an adaptive barrier to gene flow. In addition, behavioural data indicated that North Sea cod and individuals homozygous for the LG12 inversion had lower fitness in the fjord environment. However, North Sea and fjord‐type cod also occupy different depths, possibly contributing to prezygotic reproductive isolation and representing a behavioural barrier to gene flow. Our results provide the first insights into a complex interplay of genomic and behavioural isolating barriers in Atlantic cod and establish a new model system towards an understanding of the role of genomic structural variants in adaptation and diversification.

• Barrett, James; Boessenkool, Sanne; Kneale, Catherine; O'Connell, Tamsin C & Star, Bastiaan (2019). Ecological globalisation, serial depletion and the medieval trade of walrus rostra. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 229, p. 1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106122. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The impacts of early ecological globalisation may have had profound economic and environmental consequences for human settlements and animal populations. Here, we review the extent of such historical impacts by investigating the medieval trade of walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus) ivory. We use an interdisciplinary approach including chaîne opératoire, ancient DNA (aDNA), stable isotope and zooarchaeological analysis of walrus rostra (skull sections) to identify their biological source and subsequent trade through Indigenous and urban networks. This approach complements and improves the spatial resolution of earlier aDNA observations, and we conclude that almost all medieval European finds of walrus rostra likely derived from Greenland. We further find that shifting urban nodes redistributed the traded ivory and that the latest medieval rostra finds were from smaller, often female, walruses of a distinctive DNA clade, which is especially prevalent in northern Greenland. Our results suggest that more and smaller animals were targeted at increasingly untenable distances, which reflects a classic pattern of resource depletion. We consider how the trade of walrus and elephant ivory intersected, and evaluate the extent to which emergent globalisation and the “resource curse” contributed to the abandonment of Norse Greenland.

• Tørresen, Ole K.; Star, Bastiaan; Mier, Pablo; Andrade-Navarro, Miguel A.; Bateman, Alex & Jarnot, Patryk [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2019). Tandem repeats lead to sequence assembly errors and impose multi-level challenges for genome and protein databases. Nucleic Acids Research (NAR). ISSN 0305-1048. 47(21), p. 10994–11006. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkz841. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The widespread occurrence of repetitive stretches of DNA in genomes of organisms across the tree of life imposes fundamental challenges for sequencing, genome assembly, and automated annotation of genes and proteins. This multi-level problem can lead to errors in genome and protein databases that are often not recognized or acknowledged. As a consequence, end users working with sequences with repetitive regions are faced with ‘ready-to-use’ deposited data whose trustworthiness is difficult to determine, let alone to quantify. Here, we provide a review of the problems associated with tandem repeat sequences that originate from different stages during the sequencing-assembly-annotation-deposition workflow, and that may proliferate in public database repositories affecting all downstream analyses. As a case study, we provide examples of the Atlantic cod genome, whose sequencing and assembly were hindered by a particularly high prevalence of tandem repeats. We complement this case study with examples from other species, where mis-annotations and sequencing errors have propagated into protein databases. With this review, we aim to raise the awareness level within the community of database users, and alert scientists working in the underlying workflow of database creation that the data they omit or improperly assemble may well contain important biological information valuable to others.

• Oosting, Tom; Star, Bastiaan; Barrett, James; Wellenreuther, Maren; Richie, Peter & Rawlence, Nicolas J. (2019). Unlocking the potential of ancient fish DNA in the genomic era. Evolutionary Applications. 12(8), p. 1513–1522. doi: 10.1111/eva.12811. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Fish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, fulfil important ecological functions and are of significant economic interest for aquaculture and wild fisheries. Advances in DNA extraction methods, sequencing technologies and bioinformatic applications have advanced genomic research for nonmodel organisms, allowing the field of fish ancient DNA (aDNA) to move into the genomics era. This move is enabling researchers to investigate a multitude of new questions in evolutionary ecology that could not, until now, be addressed. In many cases, these new fields of research have relevance to evolutionary applications, such as the sustainable management of fisheries resources and the conservation of aquatic animals. Here, we focus on the application of fish aDNA to (a) highlight new research questions, (b) outline methodological advances and current challenges, (c) discuss how our understanding of fish ecology and evolution can benefit from aDNA applications and (d) provide a future perspective on how the field will help answer key questions in conservation and management. We conclude that the power of fish aDNA will be unlocked through the application of continually improving genomic resources and methods to well‐chosen taxonomic groups represented by well‐dated archaeological samples that can provide temporally and/or spatially extensive data sets.

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• Kopatz, Alexander; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Grainger, Matthew; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Star, Bastiaan (2026). Non-detriment finding for Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). VKM Bulletin. 2026(14), p. 1–8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export from Norway to Hungary of one live female Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) bred in captivity will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect its conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Star, Bastiaan; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for stony corals (order Scleractinia). VKM Bulletin. 2026(16), p. 1–10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of live, asexually propagated stony coral specimens (Order Scleractinia) will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect their conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Eldegard, Katrine; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2026). Non-detriment finding for osprey (Pandion haliaetus). VKM Bulletin. 2026(15), p. 1–10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of a maximum of 26 live, wild-sourced osprey fledglings for reintroduction purposes will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect its conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer). VKM Bulletin. 2026(07), p. 1–7. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforreexportofthreelivecubancrocodilescrocodylusrhombiferbornincaptivity.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7b061.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the re-export from Norway to Denmark of three live Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer) born in captivity for the purpose of zoological exhibition will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect its conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Grainger, Matthew; Eldegard, Katrine; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). VKM Bulletin. 2026(06), p. 1–8. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportofhuntingtrophyfromeurasianlynxlynxlynx.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7ad89.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export of one harvested wild female Lynx lynx from Norway to Sweden as a hunting trophy will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect its conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Star, Bastiaan; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for stony corals (order Scleractinia). VKM Bulletin. 2026(05), p. 1–10. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportoflivestonycoralsorderscleractinia.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7ab90.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of live, asexually propagated stony coral specimens (Order Scleractinia) will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect their conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for ocellated spinytail (Uromastyx ocellata). VKM Bulletin. 2026(04), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportofliveoccelatedspinytailsuromastyxocellata.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7a29c.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export from Norway to Germany of 45 live ocellated spinytails (Uromastyx ocellata) bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species. The individuals in question, and their parents, were bred in captivity and have had no contact with wild conspecifics. Therefore, the export is not likely to have any harmful effects on the conservation status of the species in the wild.

• Kunisch, Erin Hye Soo; Furness, Lydia Hildebrand; Buss, Danielle Lia; Sabin, Richard; Star, Bastiaan & Barrett, James Harold (2026). A glimpse under the surface: untangling the historical food web of the Steller’s sea cow. Full text in Research Archive
• Buss, Danielle Lia; Hurk, Youri van den; Sollid, Eirik; Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen; Mohammadi-Bazargani, Mitra & Kunisch, Erin Hye Soo [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2025). Variation in foraging of North Atlantic right whales and fin whales over the Holocene. Full text in Research Archive
• Buss, Danielle Lia; Hurk, Youri van den; Sollid, Eirik; Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen; Mohammadi-Bazargani, Mitra & Ryan, Conor [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2025). Temporal and spatial variation in the foraging preferences of Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus), North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) using archaeological and museum specimens. Full text in Research Archive
• Kersten, Oliver Sven & Star, Bastiaan (2025). Analyse av eldgammelt DNA viser opprinnelsen til elfenbein fra atlanterhavshvalross/ Tracing the origins of Atlantic walrus ivory through ancient DNA analyses. doi: https:/www.ntnu.no/documents/10476/1308180283/Havets_elfenbein_Sea_Ivories_ebook_v1.pdf/dda3a918-b2cd-b729-755e-69e495e610e7?t=1750678216606. Full text in Research Archive
• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(26), p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export of one live male cheetah bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(25), p. 1–7. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportoftwolivecheetahsacinonyxjubatusbredincaptivity.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b508e9.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import of two live male cheetahs bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for grey wolf (Canis lupus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(24), p. 1–7. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportofgreywolfcanislupusbredincaptivity.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4f690.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export of one live male grey wolf bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species or the local population in Norway and Sweden.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for African elephant (Loxodonta africana). VKM Bulletin. 2025(22), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportofhuntingtrophiesfromafricanelephantloxodontaafricana.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4eec1.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import to Norway from Mozambique of hunting trophies (two tusks) from one Loxodonta africana individual taken from the wild could have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for leopard (Panthera pardus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(23), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportofhuntingtrophiesfromleopardpantherapardus.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4f436.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import of one Panthera pardus hunting trophy (skin and skull) from Mozambique to Norway will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Boer, Hugo de; Blaalid, Rakel; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Assessment of listing proposals submitted for CITES CoP20. VKM Bulletin. 2025(21), p. 1–171. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/citescop20vkmreviewsproposedchangestointernationalspecieslistsaheadofglobalsummit.4.4600acee199c8dc392ba2b.html. Full text in Research Archive
• Kersten, Oliver Sven; Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Pulido, Angélica; Ferrari, Giada; Baalsrud, Helle Tessand & Helmerson, Cecilia [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2024). Long-term population dynamics of Atlantic cod revealed by Ancient DNA and Genomics. Full text in Research Archive
• Boilard, Aurélie; Walker, Samuel James; Lødøen, Trond Andreas Klungseth; Henriksen, Mona; Linge, Henriette & Kolfschoten, Thijs van [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2023). Reconstructing faunal diversity from the last Glacial period in northern Norway using zoo-archaeology and bulk-bone metabarcoding. Full text in Research Archive
• Boilard, Aurélie; Walker, Samuel James; Lødøen, Trond Andreas Klungseth; Henriksen, Mona; Takken-Beijersbergen, Liselotte M. & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2023). Ancient DNA and osteological analyses of a unique paleo-archive reveal Early Holocene faunal expansion into the Scandinavian Arctic. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Paleo-archives are essential for our understanding of species responses to climate warming, yet such archives are extremely rare in the Arctic. Here, we combine morphological analyses and bulk-bone metabarcoding to investigate a unique chronology of bone deposits sealed in the high-latitude Storsteinhola cave system (68°50’ N 16°22’ E) in Norway. This deposit dates to a period of climate warming from the end of the Late Glacial to the Holocene Thermal Maximum. A combination of comparative morphology and paleogenetic analyses allowed us to exploit the deposit to its full potential, with ancient DNA providing taxonomical identification to the 1000s of morphologically unidentifiable bone fragments. Our results show a high-resolution sequence of fish, mammal, and bird species, including species not previously discovered in the region, and providing fundamental insights in the ecosystem-wide responses that are ongoing today.

• Barrett, James Harold; Star, Bastiaan; Buss, Danielle; Falahati-Anbaran, Mohsen; Larsen, Thomas & Nadeau, Marie-Josee [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Multi-proxy Approaches to the Historical Ecology of Marine Resource Exploitation c.100 BCE to 1860 CE. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Kersten, Oliver; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Genetic history of sheep in the North Atlantic from the Viking Age to modern breeds. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sheep were vital to subsistence in the newly settled lands of the Norse in the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland during the Viking Age. Sheep are multi-product animals and were reared for wool, milk, meat, skins and horns, and large number of sheep bones have been found in archaeological excavations in the region. Despite their importance, the origins of local sheep breeds and their development since the 9th century are poorly understood. Here we obtained whole genome sequences of 27 ancient sheep from archaeological excavations in Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and the UK dating from 800-1700. For comparison we also analysed both newly generated and previously published modern genomes from North Atlantic, European and Asian sheep breeds. We trace the introduction of sheep to the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in a clear stepping stone pattern, but ancient UK and Norwegian sheep form an overlapping cluster. Moreover, our data shows a large reduction in genomic diversity of sheep in the North Atlantic from the Viking and Medieval period to the modern sheep breeds in the region.

• Trucchi, Emiliano; Benazzo, Andrea; Lari, Martina; Iob, Alice; Vai, Stefania & Nanni, Laura [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2021). Author Correction: Ancient genomes reveal early Andean farmers selected common beans while preserving diversity (Nature Plants, (2021), 7, 2, (123-128), 10.1038/s41477-021-00848-7). Nature Plants. ISSN 2055-026X. 7(3), p. 377–377. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00892-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Kersten, Oliver Sven; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). The tangled history of sheep in the North Atlantic revealed through ancient DNA. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sheep played a vital role in the settlement of the North Atlantic in the Viking Age, providing wool for clothing and the sails of Viking ships in addition to milk, meat, skins and horns. Despite their importance we know little about how the rapid settlement of the North Atlantic shaped the population structure and genetic diversity of sheep and how the local breeds in the North Atlantic region have changed through a thousand years of isolation. We sequenced over 80 ancient sheep bones from archaeological excavations in the North Atlantic resulting in 28 ancient sheep genomes (800-1700 CE) with average coverage of 3,7X and eight genomes from modern landrace breeds present in the region. The population history of sheep in the North Atlantic is more complicated than previously thought with some evidence of admixture of sheep from Norway and the UK during the founding of the Icelandic sheep population. The sheep population in Norse Greenland is clearly founded from Iceland. In Greenland we observe a loss of heterozygosity and increases in inbreeding over time, probably related to population decline associated with the collapse of the Norse settlement in Greenland. Our data shows a large reduction in genomic diversity of sheep in the North Atlantic from the Viking and Medieval period to the modern sheep breeds in the region, specifically in Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

• Boilard, Aurélie; Robu, Marius; Star, Bastiaan; Dalén, Love & Boessenkool, Sanne (2021). 122 000 years of fauna diversity of Nordic ecosystems explored through paleogenomics. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Paleogenomics is a molecular approach to paleontological records allowing the analysis of past ecosystems through ancient DNA (aDNA) found in fossils and soils. The discovery of Europe’s northernmost bone-rich karst cave system with sediments and bones dated up to 122ka, in Kjøpsvik (68°50’N) Northern Norway, presents a unique opportunity to study the response of arctic and boreal ecosystems to climate change during the last interglacial. The objectives of this project are to : (i) reconstruct faunal diversity and (ii) genetic diversity of mammalian populations as well as (iii) their distribution throughout the last glacial cycle over a period of 122 000 years. Metabarcoding will be used on bulk bone material (aDNA) and sediments (sedaDNA) to reconstruct the faunal diversity from excavated bone fragments. Genomic analyses based on both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes will be conducted to study historic biogeography of selected species. This study will provide new insights into mammalian diversity of high latitude ecosystems of Scandinavia throughout the last glacial cycle, and contribute to our understanding of their resilience and adaptive capabilities in the face of climate change.

• Barrett, James Harold; Brito, Cristina; Ludlow, Francis; Star, Bastiaan & Holm, Poul (2021). A History of the World in 10 Marine Taxa? An Introduction to 4-OCEANS. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2021). Temporal genomics of Atlantic cod. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2021). Genomic stability through time despite decades of exploitation in Atlantic cod. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2020). Assessing the impacts of human exploitation by integrating multiple approaches. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2020). Ancient DNA. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). POWERFUL MALE VIKINGS WERE BURIED WITH THEIR POWERFUL MALE HORSES. [Internet]. Newsweek.com. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Leifsson, Rúnar; Orlando, Ludovic; Barrett, James H. & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Fornleifarannsóknir: Hryssur ekki valdar í kuml. [Journal]. Austurglugginn. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Boessenkool, Sanne (2019). Viking sheep of the North Atlantic: Origins & genetic heritage. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Star, Bastiaan; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Kantanen, Juha; Stenseth, Nils Chr. & Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). The Sheep Saga: Archaeogenomics of Viking Age sheep in the North Atlantic. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Kyngreining á hrossum úr kumlum með forn-DNA Hestar lagðir í kuml á Íslandi á víkingaöld. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Lítið um hryssur í kumlum víkinga. [Journal]. Morgunblaðið. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Wyrozemska, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Kyngreining á hrossum úr kumlum með fornDNA. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hestar voru algengasta haugfé sem lagt var í kuml á Íslandi á víkingaöld. Beinagrindur hrossa er hægt að kyngreina á formi mjaðmagrindar og því hvort vígtennur eru til staðar. Vígtennur koma upp við 4-5 ára aldur í karldýrum en þó hafa rannsóknir sýnt að allt að þriðjungur hryssa getur haft vígtennur þó þær séu yfirleitt mun minni en í karldýrunum. Beinagreining hefur sýnt að öll hross sem hægt er að kyngreina úr íslenskum kumlum er úr karlkyns hestum en þar sem stór hluti þessara kumla fannst fyrir mörgum áratugum síðan við framkvæmdir eru beinagrindurnar oft of illa varðveittar til þess að hægt sé að kyngreina þær með vissu. Í þessari rannsókn notum við forn-DNA-greiningu til að kyngreina 22 hross frá víkingaöld. 19 hross voru úr kumlum en þrjú bein úr hellum og býlum voru einnig greind. Rannsóknir okkar leiddu í ljós að af 19 hrossum úr kumlum sem greind voru reyndist aðeins vera ein hryssa en öll sýnin sem komu úr helli og býli reyndust vera hryssur. Í greininni er einnig sýnt fram á að hægt er að kyngreina dýr jafnvel þó afar lítið sé varðveitt af DNA í hverju sýni og því má nota aðferðafræðina í greininni til að kyngreina fornleifafræðileg bein á mun stærri skala og fyrir minna fé en áður var talið. Fjallað verður um niðurstöður í nýútkominni grein Heidi M. Nistelberger, Albínu Huldu Pálsdóttur, Bastiaan Star, Rúnars Leifssonar, Agötu T. Gondek, Ludovic Orlando, James H. Barrett, Jóns Hallsteins Hallssonar og Sanne Boessenkool “Sexing Viking Age horses from burial and non-burial sites in Iceland using ancient DNA,” Journal of Archaeological Science 101 (2019), 115–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2018.11.007. Albína Hulda Pálsdóttir er dýrabeinafornleifafræðingur og starfar við Landbúnaðarháskóla Íslands. Hún er doktorsnemi við Óslóarháskóla en doktorsverkefni hennar heitir „Hestar og sauðfé víkinganna: Fornerfðafræði húsdýra í Norður-Atlantshafi“. Hún hefur greint dýrabeinasöfn frá Íslandi, Írlandi, Grænlandi og Færeyjum. Leiðbeinendur Albínu eru dr. Sanne Boessenkool við Óslóarháskóla, dr. Jón Hallsteinn Hallsson við Landbúnaðarháskóla Íslands og dr. Juha Kantanen hjá LUKE í Finnlandi. Verkefnið er styrkt af rannsóknasjóði Rannís á styrk nr. 162783051

• Star, Bastiaan (2019). Investigating the impacts of human exploitation in the marine environment using ancient DNA. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2019). The impacts of human exploitation investigated through archaeogenomics. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2019). Investigating the impacts of human exploitation in the marine environment using ancient DNA. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2019). WALRUSH: investigating historical serial exploitation of the Arctic using ancient DNA and stable isotope analyses of Atlantic walrus. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Ancient DNA from Viking Graves Proves the Fierce Fighters Rode Male Horses. [Internet]. https://www.livescience.com/64432-vikings-buried-with-stalli. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallions. [Internet]. phys.org. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Lítið um hryss­ur í kuml­um vík­inga. [Internet]. mbl.is. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Star, Bastiaan & Barrett, James H. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2019). Ancient Horse DNA From Burial Sites In Iceland Suggests That Viking Age Warriors Preferred Male Horses. [Internet]. www.inquisitr.com. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Burials Suggest Icelandic Vikings Had a Thing for Stallions. [Internet]. www.smithsonianmag.com. Full text in Research Archive
• Leifsson, Rúnar; Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Horses buried with Icelandic Viking nobles were male, ancient DNA shows. [Internet]. CBC news. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Barrett, James H.; Boessenkool, Sanne; Hallsson, Jón Hallsteinn; Leifsson, Rúnar & Nistelberger, Heidi Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Powerful Icelandic Vikings were buried with stallions. [Internet]. Heritage daily. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2019). Using ancient DNA to trace the historic exploitation of Atlantic walrus. Full text in Research Archive
• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Nistelberger, Heidi Maria; Star, Bastiaan; Leifsson, Rúnar; Gondek, Agata Teresa & Orlando, Ludovic [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Which horse should we sacrifice? Sex as a determining factor for the selection of horses in Viking Age burials in Iceland. Full text in Research Archive
• Star, Bastiaan (2019). WALRUSH: Ancient DNA identified the chronology of walrus ivory trade from Norse Greenland. Full text in Research Archive
• Kersten, Oliver; Star, Bastiaan; Anker-Nilssen, Tycho; Strøm, Hallvard & Boessenkool, Sanne (2019). Genomic population structure of the Atlantic Puffin – insights into the species’ taxonomy. Full text in Research Archive
• Cobb, Lauren Louise & Star, Bastiaan (2025). Bumblebees in fragmented landscapes: Using population genomics and bioclimatic models to explore spatial connectivity in three bumblebee species. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Bumblebee pollination is an integral facet of the temperate terrestrial ecosystem, facilitating the reproduction of a multitude of wild plants and agricultural crops. Contemporary human activity has however become a planet-shaping force from which vast portions of the biosphere are at serious risk, including these ecologically crucial insects. Recent alarming declines of a range of bumblebee species have been attributed to several of such anthropogenic drivers, particularly habitat degradation and loss due to land-use intensification, pollution, and climate change. The resulting reductions in bumblebee abundance can often be compounded by the accompanying effects of range fragmentation, such as population isolation and erosion of genetic diversity, which massively increase extinction risk. Assessing and understanding the impacts of habitat fragmentation on bumblebee biology is therefore of urgent conservation concern. In this thesis, I make use of population genomics methods and habitat suitability modelling to examine the levels of dispersal, gene flow and connectivity in three bumblebee species – Bombus lapidarius, Bombus pascuorum and Bombus consobrinus – across the anthropogenically disturbed matrix of the Scandinavian peninsula. Chapter I considers a fundamental methodological challenge for this project: how to efficiently and cost-effectively generate sequence data of sufficient quality for genomic analyses from very small, biologically valuable insect tissue samples, while causing minimal specimen damage? This question is addressed through the development of a streamlined library preparation and post-amplification clean-up protocol, with which we generate the data that makes up the remainder of this thesis. In Chapter II, the genomic variation of the B. lapidarius and B. pascuorum populations which inhabitat the Scandinavian peninsula is investigated, revealing low but significant levels of population structure despite the broad abundance and distribution of both species. We also observe patterns of decreasing genetic diversity With increasing latitude, which may be indicative of evolutionarily recent post-glacial colonisation. In addition, we detect several highly divergent genomic regions, the most prominent of which is hypothesised to represent a megabase-scale chromosomal inversion in B. pascuorum, a biological feature as yet unheard of in bumblebees. Chapter III provides an ecological context for these results through the integration of habitat suitability models, generated using several bioclimatic variables, with our B. lapidarius and B. pascuorum sequence data. Our models indicate that bumblebee abundance is increased by grasslands and deciduous forests and decreased by coniferous forests and agricultural land, and are significant predictors of broad-scale bumblebee genomic similarity. Additionally, we detect a pattern of fine-scale isolation by distance in B. lapidarius. Finally, we turn our attention to the montane foraging specialist B. consobrinus in Chapter IV, conducting a fine-scale population genomics study across the area surrounding the Hardangervidda mountain plateau of inland Norway. Despite its constrained foraging ecology, B. consobrinus exhibits very little population structure, but measures of genetic diversity indicate recent population contraction and may suggest restricted dispersal and gene flow between our samples and subpopulations beyond our study range. By shedding light on the population connectivity of these three crucial pollinators, this thesis provides fresh scientific understanding for the broader aim of bumblebee conservation in the face of ongoing anthropogenic environmental change.

• Palsdottir, Albina Hulda; Boessenkool, Sanne & Star, Bastiaan (2021). Ancient DNA sexing of walrus bones from Alþingisreitur, Iceland. Íslenskar fornleifarannsóknir ehf og Icelandic ZooArch. ISSN 9789935964106. Full text in Research Archive
• Ferrari, Giada; Garcia, Lourdes Martinez; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mansrud, Anja & Star, Bastiaan (2020). Ancient DNA of Tuna bones from the Alveberget excavation in Arendal, Norway. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive

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