Archives of human-dog relationships: Genetic and stable isotope analysis of Arctic fur clothing

Among Indigenous populations of the Circumpolar North, domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) were social actors aiding in traction and subsistence activities. Less commonly, dogs fulfilled a fur-bearing role in both the North American and Siberian Arctic. Examples of garments featuring dog skins were collected during the 19th-20th centuries and are now curated by the National Museum of Denmark. We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of macroscopically identified dog skin garments. We conducted stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio analysis of the dog furs and of fur samples from contemporaneous pelts of Arctic (C. lupus arctos) and grey (C. lupus) wolves. Despite the presence of biocides used to protect the fur clothing during storage, we extracted well-preserved DNA using a minimally-invasive sampling protocol. Unexpectedly, the mtDNA genomes of one-third of the samples were consistent with wild taxa, rather than domestic dogs. The strong marine component in the diets of North American dogs distinguished them from Greenland and Canadian wolves, but Siberian dogs consumed diets that were isotopically similar to wild species. We found that dog provisioning practices were variable across the Arctic, but in all cases, involved considerable human labor

Grey wolf genomic history reveals a dual ancestry of dogs

The grey wolf (Canis lupus) was the first species to give rise to a domestic population, and they remained widespread throughout the last Ice Age when many other large mammal species went extinct. Little is known, however, about the history and possible extinction of past wolf populations or when and where the wolf progenitors of the present-day dog lineage (Canisfamiliaris) lived(1-8). Here we analysed 72 ancient wolf genomes spanning the last 100,000 years from Europe, Siberia and North America. We found that wolf populations were highly connected throughout the Late Pleistocene, with levels of differentiation an order of magnitude lower than they are today. This population connectivity allowed us to detect natural selection across the time series, including rapid fixation of mutations in the gene IFT8840,000-30,000 years ago. We show that dogs are overall more closely related to ancient wolves from eastern Eurasia than to those from western Eurasia, suggesting a domestication process in the east. However, we also found that dogs in the Near East and Africa derive up to half of their ancestry from a distinct population related to modern southwest Eurasian wolves, reflecting either an independent domestication process or admixture from local wolves. None of the analysed ancient wolf genomes is a direct match for either of these dog ancestries, meaning that the exact progenitor populations remain to be located.Peer reviewe

The History of Coast Salish ‘Woolly Dogs’ Revealed by Ancient Genomics and Indigenous Knowledge

Ancestral Coast Salish societies in the Pacific Northwest kept long-haired “woolly” dogs that were bred and cared for over millennia. However, the dog wool-weaving tradition declined during the 19th century, and the population was lost. Here, we analyze genomic and isotopic data from a preserved woolly dog pelt, “Mutton”, collected in 1859. Mutton is the only known example of an Indigenous North American dog with dominant pre-colonial ancestry postdating the onset of settler colonialism. We identify candidate genetic variants potentially linked with their unique woolly phenotype. We integrate these data with interviews from Coast Salish Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and weavers about shared traditional knowledge and memories surrounding woolly dogs, their importance within Coast Salish societies, and how colonial policies led directly to their disappearance

The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge

Ancestral Coast Salish societies in the Pacific Northwest kept long-haired “woolly dogs” that were bred and cared for over millennia. However, the dog wool–weaving tradition declined during the 19th century, and the population was lost. In this study, we analyzed genomic and isotopic data from a preserved woolly dog pelt from “Mutton,” collected in 1859. Mutton is the only known example of an Indigenous North American dog with dominant precolonial ancestry postdating the onset of settler colonialism. We identified candidate genetic variants potentially linked with their distinct woolly phenotype. We integrated these data with interviews from Coast Salish Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and weavers about shared traditional knowledge and memories surrounding woolly dogs, their importance within Coast Salish societies, and how colonial policies led directly to their disappearance

Genomic insights into the population history of circumpolar Arctic dogs

The Siberian and North American Arctic have both borne witness to numerous migrations of humans and with them their dogs. This PhD thesis is based on whole genome data from 22 Siberian dogs and 72 North American Arctic dogs, in addition to 186 mitochondrial genomes Siberian and North American Arctic dogs. Mitochondrial genome data allowed for the identification of migration events that introduced distinct dog populations to North America, associated with different cultural complexes arriving to the region. A novel mitochondrial clade was also identified in dogs from eastern Siberia and Alaska. Genetic analysis was performed to confirm the macroscopic identification of fur used to make clothing in the Arctic in conjunction with stable isotope analyses to explore dietary differences of dog populations across the circumpolar region. The whole genome data generated for this PhD also detected and explored evidence for several gene flow events from West Eurasian dogs into the dogs of Siberia starting 10,900 BP. There was an additional gene flow event that introduced Near East related ancestry to the dogs of the Siberian Steppe before the Late Bronze Age. Dogs carrying this West Eurasian ancestry spread throughout Siberia, reaching northwestern Siberia by the Iron Age, by 2,000 BP. Further gene flow was detected later in Siberia from West Eurasia a thousand years later. North American Arctic dogs universally carry the Near East related ancestry that is seen in Siberian dogs starting in the Bronze Age, showing it had reached the Bering Strait before the ancestors of the Inuit departed Siberia for Alaska. Once in North America Inuit dogs experienced several other gene flow events from pre-contact subarctic dogs, modern European dogs, and wolves. The population structure seen in North American Arctic dogs reflects geography and the subsequent isolation as well as population turnover events associated with catastrophic epidemics in the dog populations. Finally, a simple method was developed to evaluate and remove human contamination from ancient DNA datasets originating from faunal taxa. All together this thesis has compiled genomic information from 94 Arctic dogs to shed light upon the genetic history of these dogs from the early Holocene through to the present day. This dataset has been able to provide insight not only into past dynamics of Arctic dogs but also a much needed resource for understanding and preserving the indigenous dog populations still present in the Arctic that face continued challenges of globalisation and climate change.Där har varit många migrationer av människor, och med dem deras hundar, i de sibiriska och nordamerikanska delarna av Arktis. Denna doktorsavhandling är baserad på hela genomdata från 22 sibiriska hundar och 72 nordamerikanska arktiska hundar, samt 186 mitokondriella genom från arktiska hundar från Sibirien och Nordamerika. De mitokondriella genomen möjliggjorde identifiering av migrationer av hundar som introducerade distinkta populationer till Nordamerika, associerade med olika kulturella komplex som anlände till regionen. En ny mitokondriell klad identifierades också hos hundar från östra Sibirien och Alaska. Genetiska analyser utfördes för att bekräfta den makroskopiska identifieringen av päls som användes för att göra kläder i Arktis tillsammans med stabila isotopanalyser för att undersöka dietskillnaderna hos hundpopulationer i den cirkumpolära regionen. Hela genomdata som genererats i denna avhandling upptäckte och undersökte bevis för flera genflöden från västra -eurasiska hundar till sibiriska hundar med början för 10 900 B.P. Det fanns ytterligare ett genflöde före den sena bronsåldern som introducerade börd från Främre Orienten till hundar från den sibiriska stäppen. Hundar som bär denna väst-eurasiska härkomst spred sig över Sibirien och hade nått de nordvästra delarna vid tiden för järnålderns början. Ytterligare genflöde upptäcktes senare i Sibirien från Västeurasien med början för 1 000 år sedan. De arktiska hundarna från Nordamerika har samma börd från Främre Orienten som ses i de sibiriska hundarna i början av bronsåldern, vilket visar att detta genflöde hade nått Berings sund innan förfäderna till inuiterna lämnade Sibirien för Alaska. När de hade nått Nordamerika upplevde de inuitiska hundarna flera andra genflöden från för-kontakt subarktiska hundar, moderna europeiska hundar och vargar. Befolkningsstrukturen i de arktiska hundarna från Nordamerika återspeglar geografi och den efterföljande isoleringen, samt befolkningsomsättningar förknippade med katastrofala epidemier i hundpopulationerna. Slutligen utvecklades en enkel metod för att utvärdera och ta bort mänskliga kontamineringar från gammalt DNA som härrör från fauna. Sammantaget har denna avhandling sammanställt genomisk information från 94 arktiska hundar för att belysa den genetiska historien för dessa hundar från tidigt Holocen till nutid. Dessa data har kunnat ge insikter i den historiska dynamiken hos arktiska hundar, samt också tjäna som en välbehövlig resurs för att förstå och bevara de inhemska hundpopulationer som fortfarande finns i Arktis och som står inför fortsatta utmaningar av globalisering och klimatförändringar

An ethnographic framework for identifying dog sledding in the archaeological record

For at least 9000 years dogs have been pulling sleds across the Arctic, facilitating subsistence strategies and migrations. Despite the enduring presence of dogs in the Arctic there is an absence of comprehensive studies of the material culture associate with dog sledding, including the diverse technical elements needed for the activity. This study proposes a framework for the recognition of reliable archaeological indicators of dog sledding. The outcome is based on comparisons between ethnographic information of the dog traction technology and archaeological sites from the Arctic regions of Siberia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland using multivariate analysis. These sites were selected as case studies to encompass the breadth of geographical and Inuit cultural diversity where dog sledding traditionally has been practiced. We argue, that by using this framework it is possible to study dog sledding in the Arctic prior to the Thule Inuit period and gain more knowledge about the origin of the practice. By combining sources from ethnography, history and archaeology, our framework identified items involved in dog sledding that were universal to the practice as well as items that were regionally specific. However, the most reliable evidence for dog sledding is the presence of both sled parts, dog bones and equipment for harnessing the dogs

Variance in heat tolerance in bumble bees correlates with species geographic range and is associated with several environmental and biological factors

Abstract Globally, insects have been impacted by climate change, with bumble bees in particular showing range shifts and declining species diversity with global warming. This suggests heat tolerance is a likely factor limiting the distribution and success of these bees. Studies have shown high intraspecific variance in bumble bee thermal tolerance, suggesting biological and environmental factors may be impacting heat resilience. Understanding these factors is important for assessing vulnerability and finding environmental solutions to mitigate effects of climate change. In this study, we assess whether geographic range variation in bumble bees in the eastern United States is associated with heat tolerance and further dissect which other biological and environmental factors explain variation in heat sensitivity in these bees. We examine heat tolerance by caste, sex, and rearing condition (wild/lab) across six eastern US bumble bee species, and assess the role of age, reproductive status, body size, and interactive effects of humidity and temperature on thermal tolerance in Bombus impatiens. We found marked differences in heat tolerance by species that correlate with each species' latitudinal range, habitat, and climatic niche, and we found significant variation in thermal sensitivity by caste and sex. Queens had considerably lower heat tolerance than workers and males, with greater tolerance when queens would first be leaving their natal nest, and lower tolerance after ovary activation. Wild bees tended to have higher heat tolerance than lab reared bees, and body size was associated with heat tolerance only in wild‐caught foragers. Humidity showed a strong interaction with heat effects, pointing to the need to regulate relative humidity in thermal assays and consider its role in nature. Altogether, we found most tested biological conditions impact thermal tolerance and highlight the stages of these bees that will be most sensitive to future climate change