Posted on 04/23/2007 5:41:48 PM PDT by 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.
Professor Stephan Oppenheimer says that humans weathered the Younger Dryas in Ireland, Brian Sykes says, no.
Leprechauns?
Mares eat stoats and does eat stoats
and little lambs eat ivy, a kid will eat Ivy too,
wouldn’t you?.
Now, It was 1959 when I last heard that song...
ping.
Wow! So THAT'S what the words are! :=)
I thought Mount Sandel was the oldest evidence for human presence in Ireland (about 7,000 years). I’ve never seen any reference to human presence during the Nahanagan (as the Younger Dryas is called in Ireland).
The stoat has been suspected of being a glacial relict for quite some time. I guess they’ve more or less confirmed that now.
Guinness Stoat?
Now a beer sounds good...you owe me for a pint.
If you are ever in Buffalo, I would be more than happy to buy you a cold one..
Those cute little guys eat lemmings?
One Small Carnivore Survived The Last Ice Age In Ireland
Oppenheimer makes that decision via DNA. Some of the oldest DNA in Europe can be found in Ireland.
BTW, 90% of the Irish are of the (Y-chromosome) R1b haplogroup...as well as myself.
James Joyce!
It’s a good thing Irish stoats are “diverse.” Otherwise, the EU might have to outlaw them ...
Irish bump.
Come back Irish_Thatcherite!
Very generous of you my friend...and likewise if you get out near Seattle. Plenty of decent microbreweries here...and, of course, coffee. One would be hard pressed to stand on a normal city street and not be able to hit 2 or 3 coffee shops within rock's throw.
Substitute Ireland ping! Thanks for the tip, incorrigible.
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