SUPR
Palaeogenomics_comp_2
Dnr:

NAISS 2025/5-78

Type:

NAISS Medium Compute

Principal Investigator:

Love Dalen

Affiliation:

Stockholms universitet

Start Date:

2025-03-01

End Date:

2026-03-01

Primary Classification:

10609: Genetics and Genomics (Medical aspects at 30107 and agricultural at 40402)

Allocation

Abstract

This SNIC project will be used by all lab members of the Wildlife Palaeogenomics group (run by Dalén), plus 3 NBIS support staff, who all have bioinformatics training. The overarching research theme of the group is palaeogenomic reconstruction of evolutionary dynamics in wild animals. Most of the work is part of five major lines of research: Mammoth genomics (100,000 core-hours / month): A large part of the lab group is involved in mammoth genomics which is split into multiple subprojects: • Deep-time genomics of ancient genomes (> 1 million years old) to uncover the evolution of the woolly mammoth and its ancestors. • Late Pleistocene genomics. In this project multiple high and low coverage mammoth genomes (n = ca 500) from the last 50.000 years are generated, including some of the last living mammoth individuals and suspected hunting sites from the Gravettian. The aim is to quantify genomic erosion, e.g. the decline in fitness over time due to extreme population declines and bottlenecks. • Mammoth adaption. In this projects hundreds of mammoth samples are sequenced at low coverage. The samples showing the best DNA preservation are sequenced to medium coverage (up to 100 individuals). This will allow fine scale identification and quantification of selective pressures specifically on the mammoth lineage, compared to outgroups (both Asian elephant and Steppe mammoths). Large herbivore genomics (60,000 core-hours / month) The project also aims to identify changes in selective pressures through time as response to climatic changes and anthropogenic pressures on moose, muskox, yak and bison. Multiple projects on these taxa are run in the lab, ranging from a few and up to a hundred genomes. The research is mostly aimed at uncovering the demographic histories and genomic changes over time in these species. Carnivore genomics (50,000 core-hours / month) Several of the group members are working on high coverage carnivore genomes, specifically ancient genomes from brown bears (50 individuals), cave lions (10 individuals), Arctic fox (~50 individuals), and homotherium (~4 individuals) . The aim is to address both phylogenomic reconstruction as well as inbreeding and mutational load within carnivores. Small rodents (100,000 core-hours / month) Several genomic projects on small rodents, such as lemmings and water voles, are conducted in the lab, aimed at uncovering demographic histories and responses to previous climatic changes within the lineages. This includes genome sequencing of 100s of Ice Age lemming and vole remains, as well as a large number of modern lemming and vole samples. Insect museomics (60,000 core-hours / month) Several projects aimed at sequencing hundreds of insect specimens from museum collections, focusing on pollinator species, with the aim of investigating genomic changes associated with historical declines caused by changes in agricultural practices, introduction of invasive species Bird genomics (30,000 core-hours / month) We have multiple sequencing projects on ancient Ptarmigans samples, aimed at investigating the demographic history of the species and estimating the speciation divergence time.