120,000-year-old fossils reveal dramatic genetic diversity loss in European fallow deer
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Summary
Researchers analyzed 120,000-year-old fallow deer fossils from the Neumark-Nord site in central Germany, revealing that modern fallow deer possess only a fraction of the genetic diversity of their Ice Age ancestors. The study, published in iScience by scientists from the University of Potsdam, MONREPOS Research Center, and Leiden University, shows that climate changes and human actions have substantially reshaped the species over millennia. The findings provide important insights for conservation efforts by demonstrating how much genetic variety has been lost since the last interglacial period.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledModern fallow deer thus represents just a fraction of their Ice Age ancestors' variety.
The study highlights how climate and human actions substantially reshaped a once-diverse species and may be informative for conservation action.
European fallow deer faced a dramatic loss of genetic diversity since the last interglacial period.
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