Postglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor

Mikkel Winther Pedersen; Anthony Henry Ruter; Charlie Schweger; Harvey Friebe; Richard A. Staff; Kristian Kjellerup Kjeldsen; Marie Lisandra Zepeda Mendoza; Alwynne B. Beaudoin; Cynthia Zutter; Nicolaj K. Larsen; Ben A. Potter; Rasmus Nielsen; Rebecca A. Rainville; Ludovic Antoine Alexandre Orlando; David J. Meltzer; Kurt H. Kjær; Eske Willerslev

doi:10.1038/nature19085

Postglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor

Mikkel Winther Pedersen, Anthony Henry Ruter, Charlie Schweger, Harvey Friebe, Richard A. Staff, Kristian Kjellerup Kjeldsen, Marie Lisandra Zepeda Mendoza, Alwynne B. Beaudoin, Cynthia Zutter, Nicolaj K. Larsen, Ben A. Potter, Rasmus Nielsen, Rebecca A. Rainville, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre Orlando, David J. Meltzer, Kurt H. Kjær, Eske Willerslev

Bioinformatik og RNA Biologi

154 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

During the Last Glacial Maximum, continental ice sheets isolated Beringia (northeast Siberia and northwest North America) from unglaciated North America. By around 15 to 14 thousand calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. kyr BP), glacial retreat opened an approximately 1,500-km-long corridor between the ice sheets. It remains unclear when plants and animals colonized this corridor and it became biologically viable for human migration. We obtained radiocarbon dates, pollen, macrofossils and metagenomic DNA from lake sediment cores in a bottleneck portion of the corridor. We find evidence of steppe vegetation, bison and mammoth by approximately 12.6 cal. kyr BP, followed by open forest, with evidence of moose and elk at about 11.5 cal. kyr BP, and boreal forest approximately 10 cal. kyr BP. Our findings reveal that the first Americans, whether Clovis or earlier groups in unglaciated North America before 12.6 cal. kyr BP, are unlikely to have travelled by this route into the Americas. However, later groups may have used this north–south passageway.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Nature
Vol/bind	537
Udgave nummer	7618
Sider (fra-til)	45–49
Antal sider	5
ISSN	0028-0836
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19085
Status	Udgivet - 10 aug. 2016

Adgang til dokumentet

10.1038/nature19085

Citationsformater

Pedersen, M. W., Ruter, A. H., Schweger, C., Friebe, H., Staff, R. A., Kjeldsen, K. K., Zepeda Mendoza, M. L., Beaudoin, A. B., Zutter, C., Larsen, N. K., Potter, B. A., Nielsen, R., Rainville, R. A., Orlando, L. A. A., Meltzer, D. J., Kjær, K. H., & Willerslev, E. (2016). Postglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor. Nature, 537(7618), 45–49. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19085

Pedersen, MW , Ruter, AH, Schweger, C, Friebe, H, Staff, RA, Kjeldsen, KK, Zepeda Mendoza, ML, Beaudoin, AB, Zutter, C, Larsen, NK, Potter, BA, Nielsen, R, Rainville, RA, Orlando, LAA, Meltzer, DJ, Kjær, KH & Willerslev, E 2016, 'Postglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor', Nature, bind 537, nr. 7618, s. 45–49. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19085

@article{188958cde9684b9c8660b5f6262a0fc5,

title = "Postglacial viability and colonization in North America{\textquoteright}s ice-free corridor",

abstract = "During the Last Glacial Maximum, continental ice sheets isolated Beringia (northeast Siberia and northwest North America) from unglaciated North America. By around 15 to 14 thousand calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. kyr BP), glacial retreat opened an approximately 1,500-km-long corridor between the ice sheets. It remains unclear when plants and animals colonized this corridor and it became biologically viable for human migration. We obtained radiocarbon dates, pollen, macrofossils and metagenomic DNA from lake sediment cores in a bottleneck portion of the corridor. We find evidence of steppe vegetation, bison and mammoth by approximately 12.6 cal. kyr BP, followed by open forest, with evidence of moose and elk at about 11.5 cal. kyr BP, and boreal forest approximately 10 cal. kyr BP. Our findings reveal that the first Americans, whether Clovis or earlier groups in unglaciated North America before 12.6 cal. kyr BP, are unlikely to have travelled by this route into the Americas. However, later groups may have used this north–south passageway.",

author = "Pedersen, {Mikkel Winther} and Ruter, {Anthony Henry} and Charlie Schweger and Harvey Friebe and Staff, {Richard A.} and Kjeldsen, {Kristian Kjellerup} and {Zepeda Mendoza}, {Marie Lisandra} and Beaudoin, {Alwynne B.} and Cynthia Zutter and Larsen, {Nicolaj K.} and Potter, {Ben A.} and Rasmus Nielsen and Rainville, {Rebecca A.} and Orlando, {Ludovic Antoine Alexandre} and Meltzer, {David J.} and Kj{\ae}r, {Kurt H.} and Eske Willerslev",

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T1 - Postglacial viability and colonization in North America’s ice-free corridor

AU - Pedersen, Mikkel Winther

AU - Ruter, Anthony Henry

AU - Schweger, Charlie

AU - Friebe, Harvey

AU - Staff, Richard A.

AU - Kjeldsen, Kristian Kjellerup

AU - Zepeda Mendoza, Marie Lisandra

AU - Beaudoin, Alwynne B.

AU - Zutter, Cynthia

AU - Larsen, Nicolaj K.

AU - Potter, Ben A.

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

AU - Rainville, Rebecca A.

AU - Orlando, Ludovic Antoine Alexandre

AU - Meltzer, David J.

AU - Kjær, Kurt H.

AU - Willerslev, Eske

PY - 2016/8/10

Y1 - 2016/8/10

N2 - During the Last Glacial Maximum, continental ice sheets isolated Beringia (northeast Siberia and northwest North America) from unglaciated North America. By around 15 to 14 thousand calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. kyr BP), glacial retreat opened an approximately 1,500-km-long corridor between the ice sheets. It remains unclear when plants and animals colonized this corridor and it became biologically viable for human migration. We obtained radiocarbon dates, pollen, macrofossils and metagenomic DNA from lake sediment cores in a bottleneck portion of the corridor. We find evidence of steppe vegetation, bison and mammoth by approximately 12.6 cal. kyr BP, followed by open forest, with evidence of moose and elk at about 11.5 cal. kyr BP, and boreal forest approximately 10 cal. kyr BP. Our findings reveal that the first Americans, whether Clovis or earlier groups in unglaciated North America before 12.6 cal. kyr BP, are unlikely to have travelled by this route into the Americas. However, later groups may have used this north–south passageway.

AB - During the Last Glacial Maximum, continental ice sheets isolated Beringia (northeast Siberia and northwest North America) from unglaciated North America. By around 15 to 14 thousand calibrated radiocarbon years before present (cal. kyr BP), glacial retreat opened an approximately 1,500-km-long corridor between the ice sheets. It remains unclear when plants and animals colonized this corridor and it became biologically viable for human migration. We obtained radiocarbon dates, pollen, macrofossils and metagenomic DNA from lake sediment cores in a bottleneck portion of the corridor. We find evidence of steppe vegetation, bison and mammoth by approximately 12.6 cal. kyr BP, followed by open forest, with evidence of moose and elk at about 11.5 cal. kyr BP, and boreal forest approximately 10 cal. kyr BP. Our findings reveal that the first Americans, whether Clovis or earlier groups in unglaciated North America before 12.6 cal. kyr BP, are unlikely to have travelled by this route into the Americas. However, later groups may have used this north–south passageway.

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