Ancient environmental genome reveals a migratory brown bear individual in Early Holocene Scandinavia

Abstract

Ancient brown bear genomes from Scandinavia are rare due to a scarce bone fossil record. Using an alternative source of ancient genomic information—lake sediments—we present a 9,600-y-old ancient brown bear environmental genome from Fiskartjärnen in northern Sweden. Our analyses are consistent with this genome deriving from a single male individual. This bear had likely migrated from the southern parts of Sweden based on population assignment from both its mitochondrial and nuclear genome. Our findings showcase the use of sediments as an alternative source of high-quality genomic information. Keywords: sedimentary ancient DNA, Ursus arctos, phylogeography, postglacial recolonization