Ancient DNA Unveils 1,000 Years at Crawford Lake
Scientists have used sedimentary ancient DNA from Crawford Lake to reconstruct a 1,000-year environmental timeline. The study tracks ecological shifts from pre-agricultural times through industrialization, providing a high-resolution record of human impact on the ecosystem.
Why it matters
This research provides critical data for the ongoing scientific debate regarding the Anthropocene epoch and humanity's long-term environmental footprint.
An international team of scientists featuring faculty at Binghamton University has recreated a 1,000-year timeline documenting the ecological changes and human impact to the area surrounding Crawford Lake, the famed location of the proposed Anthropocene.
By analyzing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) samples found preserved in the lake bottom sediment, scientists were able to reconstruct a diverse, high-resolution dataset of the entire ecosystem surrounding the lake - including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi - and map changes over the centuries.
Crawford Lake is a meromictic lake, meaning the water column does not mix with the lakebed. Its unique properties cause sediment in the upper level to settle on the lake floor, where it is preserved in alternating layers of calcite and organic laminae (sediment layers that are rich in organic material).
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in