Biomolecular analyses reveal the age, sex and species identity of a near-intact Pleistocene bird carcass

Ancient remains found in permafrost represent a rare opportunity to study past ecosystems. Here, we present an exceptionally well-preserved ancient bird carcass found in the Siberian permafrost, along with a radiocarbon date and a reconstruction of its complete mitochondrial genome. The carcass was radiocarbon dated to approximately 44–49 ka BP, and was genetically identified as a female horned lark. This is a species that usually inhabits open habitat, such as the steppe environment that existed in Siberia at the time. This near-intact carcass highlights the potential of permafrost remains for evolutionary studies that combine both morphology and ancient nucleic acids. Nicolas Dussex et al. identify a 44,000–49,000 year old bird found in Siberian permafrost as a female horned lark using ancient DNA. This exceptionally well-preserved specimen illustrates the potential contribution to science of permafrost deposits, such as the study of ecology and evolution of ancient ecosystems, calibration of molecular clocks, and furthering our understanding of processes such as biological regulation and gene expression in relation to climate change.