One Small carnivore Survived The Last Ice Age In Ireland

Science Daily ^ | 4-22-2007 | Queen's University Belfast

[blam]

Source: Queen's University Belfast
Date: April 22, 2007

One Small Carnivore Survived The Last Ice Age In Ireland

Science Daily — You may well ask the question, where did the animals and plants of modern day Ireland and Britain come from? Published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society, scientists at Queen’s University Belfast have uncovered evidence that stoats survived in Ireland at the coldest point of the last Ice Age, 23,500 years ago.

The research has revealed that despite few animals or plants surviving the millennia of freezing cold and ice, the Irish stoats had real staying power. The Irish lineage of these small carnivores that eat mice, rabbits and birds is unique according to the research.

The scientists reached their conclusions by studying the wiry mammal’s DNA collected from museum collections and gamekeepers.

Explaining the research findings, Dr Robbie McDonald, Manager of Quercus at Queen’s, explained: “These tenacious carnivores probably survived the extreme cold at the peak of the last Ice Age by living under the snow and eating lemmings, just as they do in Greenland today.

“Irish stoats are a diverse and ancient lineage, this study provides the first compelling evidence that a species of mammal found in Ireland today actually survived throughout the worst of the Ice Age weather.

“The Irish fauna is a very unusual mix of native and introduced species, but we tend to overlook the unique nature of the Irish gene pool of many species, such as stoats and hares. This work helps identify which species should be a priority for conserving the Irish natural heritage.”

Genetic research has found that the Irish lineage of stoats is about 23,500 years old, compared to the British lineage, which is about 12,000 years old.

Stoats are found over a wide range of temperature conditions ranging from warm temperate to arctic. While they currently occur in the high Arctic of Greenland and Canada, feeding on lemmings, it is known from fossils that lemmings survived in Ireland providing a potential food supply during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

Using genetic techniques the scientists used a total of 197 tissue and skin samples collected from stoats from 153 localities in Eurasia and Greenland which yielded definite sequences.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Queen's University Belfast.

[Frank_2001]

LMAO!:)

[omnivore]

"...probably survived the extreme cold at the peak of the last Ice Age by living under the snow and eating lemmings..."

Wonder what the lemmings were eating.

Interesting point about whether they eat snakes. These stoats look like they're in the weasel and mongoose family. Mongooses will eat snakes, I don't know about weasels.

[Stoat]

Thank you for the pings and for the interesting thread about my Irish cousins and their fine, stout lineage   :-)

 

As to questions about gastronomy and culinary peculiarities of various stoat-clans, I am embarrassed to say that I am no expert.  Being more of a city-stoat, I'm more drawn to steaks rather than snakes, gumbo over lemmings, and a very rare, occasional 'whiff' of fine Irish whisky.

"cooking gumbo at the stoat cave"

"a far better beverage choice than the typical muddy puddle outside the typical stoat den"

Having visited the Emerald Isle and fallen deeply in love with the land and her fine people, I'm not at all surprised to discover that many in the Irish animal kingdom are truly fine and special as well, with a valiant and dignified history..

A word of warning to anyone planning a visit....you won't want to return home and you will spend the rest of your life wanting to visit Ireland again   :-)

[Youngblood]

Stoats eat rabbits, mice, voles and so on. Haven’t come across any accounts of them eating snakes, but its possible. BBC Wildlife did a David Attenborough documentary on them called “Stoats in the Priory”. It is worth getting hold of to see diminutive stoats killing and dragging rabbits more than three times their size and weight back to their young!

And yes, stoats are weasels. Their North American subspecies is called the short-tailed weasel, or in northern regions where it undergoes winter whitening, the ermine.

[VRWCer]

mark for later!

[SisBoombah]

Mares eat *oats* and does eat *oats*
etc,
Some of us are older than we sound!

[Eagles6]

No! No! It’s mares eat OATS!And does eat OATS! For the love of all that’s good and holy, man! Do you realize what you have done? Stalin, mao, hitler and saddam all thought it was stoats. It’s OATS!

[MrNeutron1962]

First Cousin to the Sporkweasel.

[Ciexyz]

Cute lil' bugger.

[Tax-chick]

That all looks delicious! I think I’ll encourage my husband to make gumbo later this week!

[Stoat]

I hope that you and your husband will enjoy it :-)

It’s easy to make....if a scruffy, fleabitten stoat can make it, anyone can :-)