Recent DNA analysis of 75,000-year-old bones recovered from Arctic caves has shed light on how various animal species responded to changing climates during the last ice age. Scientists study bones found in Arne Qvamgrotta, one of the entrances to the large Storsteinhola karst cave system in Norway. This study gives a unique window into the ecological interactions of that era. These discoveries highlight how susceptible our nature is to climatic changes.
This time, researchers were able to recover bones from the last ice age. These skeletons belong to a much warmer interstadial time period and were found in sediments that have been relatively undisturbed since the interstadial. The most recent, or “Wisconsin,” ice age lasted from roughly 118,000 to 11,000 years ago. It was characterized by extreme glacial forecloses and collapses that seriously altered the movements of species of fauna and flora.
Discovering the Past in Arctic Caves
The complete sediment deposit holding these bones was first uncovered in the early 1990s while industrial limestone mining operations cut through the deposit. Arne Qvamgrotta is located right outside Kjøpsvik, a picturesque coastal village located in Nordland. It lies in the fjord along the feet of Stetind, Norway’s national mountain. Researchers excavated and recovered more than 6,000 bone fragments from this unique site. This extraordinary discovery provides an incredible tool to assist them in unraveling the historical mysteries.
Scientists applied cutting-edge methods in comparative osteology and ancient-DNA metabarcoding. This supplied the evidence they needed to uncover 46 distinct types of terrestrial and marine vertebrates that thrived during this epoch. Among these were iconic species like the polar bear, collared lemming, and Arctic fox—tribes that have since gone extinct.
“The Storsteinhola cave system in Kjøpsvik village in the municipality of Narvik, Nordland.” – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The Impact of Climatic Changes
The analysis reveals that fluctuating climatic conditions caused by advancing and retreating glacial ice prompted successive migrations and retractions of animals and plants throughout the Arctic region. When habitats changed their environment, many species either evolved with them or went extinct. For one, the research team found an intriguing relationship between climate and biodiversity. Their discoveries zero in on one of Earth’s worst meteorological eras.
Among the species found were woolly mammoths, musk oxen, walruses, and bowhead whales. Everybody thinks of dinosaurs, but there were these amazing seabirds, including king eiders and puffins, which flourished in this ancient ecosystem. This rich tapestry of life not only provides insights into species that existed during this time but illustrates how ecosystems responded to environmental changes.
Implications for Today’s Climate Challenges
Our most recent findings highlight an important story that illustrates ecological vulnerability under an increasingly variable climate. With today’s global community grappling with unprecedented climate change impacts, looking back at how people responded can help shape modern day conservation efforts. Bones from ancient peoples give us excellent information. This knowledge informs our expectations of how species–species on the brink of extinction–will respond to present-day environmental change.
This study brings attention to the impermanence of ecosystems. As species adapt to survive changing climates, some may face extinction due to their inability to cope with rapid environmental alterations.