Phylogeography of European ungulates from the last interglacial period and their subsequent evolution

This study will use next generation sequencing methods to explore the genetic diversity of deer and other ungulates from the Eemian interglacial period, ~120,000 years ago. At the Joint Mitnor cave in Devon on the southeast edge of Dartmoor National Park, a deep pit trapped animals during the Eemian period resulting in a remarkable collection of preserved bones from straight tusked elephants, hyena, narrow-nosed rhino, bison and including both species of indigenous deer, red deer and fallow deer. The student will use a technique that captures fragments of ancient DNA with RNA ‘bates’ representing the full mitochondrial DNA genome. We have tested this method on a sample from this site and generated sequence data, unusual for samples so old, but the alkaline soil at Joint Mitnor and the cool environment are fortuitously well suited to DNA preservation. We will focus on the extensive collections of fallow and red deer samples from the site and compare data generated with available sequence data on modern populations of both species. This will allow us to test hypotheses about the origin and evolution of modern populations, the impact of the last glacial period on the diversity and distribution of these species, and the phylogenetic relationship between ancient and modern populations, and between each and the rest of the cervid lineage. A key aspect of the study will be the integration of environmental data, so that any changes in demography or distribution can be interpreted in the context of changing environments.

The student will use high resolution genetic data to test the following hypotheses: 1) That there has been a change in genetic diversity over time comparing Eemian and modern populations of the only two deer species indigenous to the British Isles throughout the relevant period (fallow and red deer); 2) That connectivity with modern populations will inform about patterns of re-distribution over this time frame; 3) That there will be distinct phylogenetic positions for these populations at different points in time, and 4) that comparative analyses will suggest an environmental context for evolutionary change. Consistency or changes in diet (inferred from the stable isotope analyses) or in the pattern of genetic connectivity may help explain why the red deer remained indigenous to the British Isles while the fallow deer remained restricted to southern refugia (where most species retreated during the glacial period while Britain was under ice).
For further details please contact Rus Hoelzel ([Email Address Removed]).

This project is part of the NERC IAPETUS DTP, and further details (including a pdf describing the project) can be found at: http://www.iapetus.ac.uk/ Application materials should include a c.v., academic records and at least two letters of reference sent to [Email Address Removed] .