Publications
Continuity of eastern Beringian megafauna phylogenetic diversity following deposition of the Late Pleistocene Dawson tephra
A volcanic eruption approximately 29,000 years ago deposited ash, known as the Dawson tephra, across eastern Beringia, extending up to 1,700 kilometers from its source. Despite this significant environmental disturbance, a study using sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) found no substantial changes in species assemblages or megafauna phylogenetic diversity following the ashfall event. This suggests that the Beringian mammoth steppe ecosystem exhibited remarkable resilience to ecological disturbances. The research highlights the potential of sedaDNA as a tool for investigating past environmental dynamics, providing new insights into the robustness of ancient ecosystems.
Continuity of eastern Beringian megafauna phylogenetic diversity following deposition of the Late Pleistocene Dawson tephra.
A volcanic eruption approximately 29,000 years ago deposited ash, known as the Dawson tephra, across the eastern Beringian mammoth steppe, spanning from Alaska to Yukon. Despite the significant environmental disturbance caused by this ashfall event—with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 80 cm—researchers found no significant changes in species assemblages or megafauna phylogenetic diversity following its deposition. This suggests that the Beringian ecosystem exhibited remarkable resilience to ecological disturbances during the Late Pleistocene. The study utilized sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) techniques to analyze genomic data from Dawson tephra exposures in Yukon, Canada, providing novel insights into past environmental dynamics and reinforcing the utility of sedaDNA in paleoecological research.
Experimental evidence that organo-mineral interactions regulate dissolved organic matter composition and lability across permafrost landscapes of northwestern Canada
Research demonstrates that organo-mineral interactions significantly regulate the composition and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in permafrost-affected freshwater ecosystems. These interactions, driven by sediment characteristics such as aluminum and iron content, can decrease DOC concentrations while increasing DOM lability, thereby enhancing biodegradation rates. The study, conducted using batch sorption experiments on six permafrost sediment types from northwestern Canada, found that yedoma sediments released substantially more water-extractable DOC than other regions. Preferential sorption of larger, humic-like compounds and displacement of mineral-bound small molecules enriched the DOM pool in labile compounds, verified through bio-incubations. This process varies with sediment characteristics reflective of landscape history, highlighting its potential impact on northern food webs and global carbon balances.
Genomic identification and complete mitochondrial recovery of a Late Holocene porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) mummy from Yukon permafrost
Researchers have identified the first known mummified remains of an ancient North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), nicknamed 'Ts'ey' in the Hän language, from Yukon permafrost. This 3000-year-old specimen, recovered from the Traditional Territory of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, represents a Late Holocene find significantly younger than typical Pleistocene megafauna deposits in the region. Genetic analysis and metagenomic validation confirmed its identity and yielded the first-ever complete ancient mitochondrial genome for E. dorsatum, underscoring the potential of permafrost to preserve interglacial specimens. The discovery supports the hypothesis that porcupines dispersed into Yukon and Alaska following boreal forest establishment post-Last Glacial Period.
Insect communities of late Pleistocene steppe–tundra and Holocene boreal forest ecosystems in central Yukon Territory, Canada
A detailed reconstruction of insect communities from the Quartz Creek site in central Yukon Territory reveals dramatic shifts between Late Pleistocene steppe–tundra and Holocene boreal forest ecosystems. The study identifies a species-poor, arid-adapted community dominated by weevils such as Connatichela artemisiae during the Pleistocene (MIS 4 to 2), reflecting cold, dry conditions with widespread Artemisia-grassland habitats. Post-glacial Holocene assemblages, dated to at least 6045 cal yr BP, show a marked increase in diversity and taxa associated with shrubs, wetlands, and coniferous forests, including bark beetles (Scolytus piceae, Polygraphus rufipennis) and the carpenter ant (Camponotus herculeanus). The absence of steppe–tundra specialists in Holocene samples underscores the collapse of Pleistocene ecosystems and the rise of boreal forest environments. This work provides critical insights into the ecological restructuring of eastern Beringia, linking insect community composition to broader climatic and vegetational changes.
Latest Pleistocene shrub expansion and steppe-tundra persistence in easternmost Beringia
A multi-proxy analysis of the Mint Gulch site in Yukon Territory reveals that steppe-tundra vegetation persisted alongside shrub expansion during the late Pleistocene in eastern Beringia, challenging the notion of a uniform ecosystem collapse. The study integrates sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), macrofossils, pore-ice isotopes, and radiocarbon chronology to document a transitional period around 13,910 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP), where both steppe-tundra and shrub-tundra communities coexisted. Pore-ice isotope data indicate regional warming and hydroclimate shifts beginning ca. 14,000 cal yr BP, while sedaDNA records show a shift from grazing megafauna to shrub-dependent taxa. Macro-fossils from an Arctic ground squirrel midden further confirm the persistence of steppe-tundra indicators like Artemisia sp. and Potentilla sp., highlighting spatial heterogeneity in ecosystem transitions.
Tr'ondëk: An Indigenous History of the Klondike Gold Rush
A digital exhibit challenges the romanticized, whitewashed narrative of the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–1899) by centering Indigenous perspectives. It deromanticizes the event's devastating impact on traditional trades, homelands, and customs in Yukon and Alaska territories. The exhibit, 'Tr'ondëk: An Indigenous History of the Klondike Gold Rush,' is structured around four themes—'Before the Gold Rush,' 'Discovery on Chʼëchozhùʼ Ndëk,' 'Jëje In Hǫ̀ląy—Lots of People,' and 'Aftermath'—with an introductory section for unfamiliar audiences. Unlike conventional accounts, this project prioritizes Indigenous voices to correct historical omissions and is freely accessible online.
Pleistocene grasshoppers, fleas, thrips, and mites: rare and new records from Arctic ground squirrel middens in east Beringia in Yukon Territory, Canada
Researchers have uncovered rare and novel records of Pleistocene grasshoppers, fleas, thrips, and mites from Arctic ground squirrel middens in the Tr’ondëk-Klondike region of Yukon Territory, Canada. These findings represent the first documented evidence of grasshoppers (Acrididae: Gomphocerinae) and thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Beringia, a critical region for understanding Arctic biodiversity during the Pleistocene epoch. The study also contributes new records of fleas (Oropsylla alaskensis) and mites (Fusacarus Michael, cf. Haemogamasus Berlese), which are seldom reported in Quaternary deposits. By analyzing permafrost deposits spanning approximately 80,000 to 13,500 years BP, the research provides insights into the fossil history of these underrepresented invertebrate groups, expanding our understanding of Arctic ecosystems during this period.
Walking in two worlds: insights from implementing a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in approach to bridging knowledge systems in conservation and land use planning
A collaborative approach integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems can effectively inform conservation and land use planning. The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation in the Yukon, Canada, demonstrated that combining Indigenous land use mapping with a conservation prioritization tool called Zonation—modified to include cultural values and subsistence areas—enhances decision-making while respecting both knowledge systems independently. This 'walking in two worlds' method addresses historical imbalances where Western science dominated, offering a model for equitable partnerships. Challenges and successes from this process provide valuable insights for future land planning involving Indigenous authorities.
Collapse of the mammoth-steppe in central Yukon as revealed by ancient environmental DNA
A groundbreaking analysis of ancient environmental DNA (sedaDNA) from the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada, reveals the collapse of the mammoth-steppe ecosystem between 13,500 and 10,000 years ago. This study provides unprecedented insights into the Late Quaternary extinctions by leveraging sedimentary records preserved in permafrost silts. The findings indicate a significant turnover in ecosystem composition during this period, marked by the rise of woody shrubs and the disappearance of the mammoth-steppe. Notably, the research also identifies lingering signals of Equus sp. (North American horse) and Mammuthus primigenius (woolly mammoth), suggesting their persistence thousands of years beyond their supposed extinction in the fossil record. This approach offers a more nuanced understanding of the relative impacts of climate change, ecosystem restructuring, and human activities on megafaunal extinctions.
Freeze-up, Break-up, and Colonial Circulation
Ice and snow played pivotal roles in shaping the dynamics of Euro-Canadian colonization in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, particularly along the Mackenzie and Yukon rivers. This study reveals how freeze-up and break-up patterns influenced colonial geographies, trade rhythms, and knowledge systems between Indigenous northerners and their environment during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By analyzing oral histories and accounts of Indigenous life experiences, the research demonstrates that these seasonal transitions were central to social and cultural relationships with other-than-human nature. Additionally, it traces how ice transformations facilitated the movement of pathogens, such as during the scarlet fever epidemic in 1865 and the influenza epidemic in 1928, thereby shaping emerging northern colonial ecologies between 1860 and 1930.
The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Great Upheaval: Mining, Colonialism, and Environmental Change in the Klondike, 1890-1940
Gold mining during the Klondike Gold Rush (1890–1940) initiated long-term systemic alienation of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in from their traditional lands and resources, driven by both environmental degradation and colonial bureaucratic interventions. The study reveals that placer and dredge mining not only transformed the Klondike landscape but also disrupted Indigenous resource access through state-imposed land-use policies that prioritized colonial practices over local traditions. While colonial administration was often contested among external authorities, Indigenous Yukoners actively resisted displacement and challenged imposed changes, shaping the complex dynamics of colonization in the region. This work highlights the dual impact of mining—physical environmental alteration and bureaucratic marginalization—as key drivers of Indigenous displacement.
Our land is our voice: First Nation heritage-making in the Tr’ondëk/Klondike
First Nations communities, such as the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in of northwestern Canada, have employed heritage-making strategies to assert territorial sovereignty and preserve cultural identity amid settler colonialism. This study highlights how the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, through treaty advocacy, cultural expression, and support for residential school survivors, have resisted Western heritage narratives while adapting their own traditions. The research demonstrates that continuous heritage-making enables Indigenous communities to navigate modernity while maintaining autonomy and identity. Approaches included analyzing historical records, interviews, and cultural instruments developed by the community.
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