Ancient DNA collected from a European rock shelter suggests that early human farmers decision to switch from tending goats and sheep (a practice dating back 6,000 years) to pigs during the Bronze Age (4,000 years ago), forever changing the makeup of Central European forests.
That is according to new research collected from a Velky Mamutak rock shelter in northern Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic). The research shows how early pastoralism changed the forest composition and soil health in the low mountain ranges, suggesting that the human influence on forests began much earlier than first thought.
“Our research shows how forests have deep human histories that we take for granted when we think about conservation,” according to Dr Petre Pokorny, one of the co-authors who participated in the global study – which tapped into researchers from Denmark, the UK, Japan and the Czech Republic, last week published in the Current Biology journal.
According to the research, changes in grazing patterns (and the movement and management of domesticated animals) were directly responsible for the emergence of species-poor conditions still visible in many Central European forests. These decisions were instrumental in establishing the health of 21st-century forests.
“By studying how ancient societies interacted with their environment, we can better understand the roots of the Anthropocene – the era in which human activity became the dominant force in shaping ecosystems,” said Dr Matthew Walls, one of the study’s co-authors.
“Our new approach using ancient DNA allows us to trace these changes in a way that we couldn’t before and reminds us that the answers are in the dirt,” according to Dr Mikkel Winter Pedersen, also a co-author of the study: “Rock Shelters are archives of human-environmental systems.”
Using a new type of ancient sedimentary DNA technology—known as sedaDNA—researchers analysed 22 samples at the shelter, tracing animals, plants, and microbes from 12,000 years ago to the present day: “This new technology opens up exciting possibilities for understanding past environments,” said Dr Guila Zampirolo, the study’s first author.
“With sedaDNA, we can fill in the gaps left by traditional archaeological methods and promote cross-disciplinary collaborations between archaeologists, paleoecologists and paleo-geneticists.”
Now, the researchers want to apply their insights to other paleoecological sites across Europe, a process key to understanding how ancient land use practices have shaped the natural world. “Expanding this research will help us trace the broader environmental impacts of early human activities in these forests,” Dr Pokorny said. “These insights are crucial as we address modern environmental challenges, including forest resilience and management.”
For more information: Zampirolo, Giulia et al. Tracing early pastoralism in Central Europe using sedimentary ancient DNA. Current Biology, Volume 0, Issue (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.08.047
