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Molecular ecology2021; 31(24); 6407-6421; doi: 10.1111/mec.16267

Lions and brown bears colonized North America in multiple synchronous waves of dispersal across the Bering Land Bridge.

Abstract: The Bering Land Bridge connecting North America and Eurasia was periodically exposed and inundated by oscillating sea levels during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. This land connection allowed the intermittent dispersal of animals, including humans, between Western Beringia (far northeast Asia) and Eastern Beringia (northwest North America), changing the faunal community composition of both continents. The Pleistocene glacial cycles also had profound impacts on temperature, precipitation and vegetation, impacting faunal community structure and demography. While these palaeoenvironmental impacts have been studied in many large herbivores from Beringia (e.g., bison, mammoths, horses), the Pleistocene population dynamics of the diverse guild of carnivorans present in the region are less well understood, due to their lower abundances. In this study, we analyse mitochondrial genome data from ancient brown bears (Ursus arctos; n = 103) and lions (Panthera spp.; n = 39), two megafaunal carnivorans that dispersed into North America during the Pleistocene. Our results reveal striking synchronicity in the population dynamics of Beringian lions and brown bears, with multiple waves of dispersal across the Bering Land Bridge coinciding with glacial periods of low sea levels, as well as synchronous local extinctions in Eastern Beringia during Marine Isotope Stage 3. The evolutionary histories of these two taxa underline the crucial biogeographical role of the Bering Land Bridge in the distribution, turnover and maintenance of megafaunal populations in North America.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-24 PubMed ID: 34748674DOI: 10.1111/mec.16267Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article centers around the migration patterns of lions and brown bears that came to North America through the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene epoch. Detailed analysis of mitochondrial genome data from these species revealed multiple waves of dispersal and specific population dynamics, highlighting the key role of the Bering Land Bridge in species distribution, survival, and evolution.

Concept of Bering Land Bridge and Pleistocene glacial cycles

  • The Bering Land Bridge, a land connection between North America and Eurasia, emerged and disappeared over cycles governed by fluctuating sea levels during the Pleistocene epoch’s glacial cycles.
  • As it periodically appeared, the Bridge enabled the passage of various species from Western Beringia (northeast Asia) to Eastern Beringia (northwest North America) and vice versa, leading to a significant shift in the faunal community composition of both continents.
  • Other than changing the sea levels, the Pleistocene glacial cycles also altered the temperature, rainfall, and vegetation, thereby impacting the animal communities and population demographics.

Lions and Brown Bears in Pleistocene Beringia

  • While many large herbivores from Beringia, like bison, mammoths, horses, etc., have been extensively studied, detailed examination of the Pleistocene carnivorans (meat eaters), such as lions and brown bears, has been lacking due to the scarce presence of their remnants.
  • The research analyzed mitochondrial genome data from 103 ancient brown bears (Ursus arctos) and 39 lions (Panthera spp.), two significant carnivoran species that migrated to North America during the Pleistocene epoch.

Population Dynamics and Evolutionary History

  • The study unveiled a striking synchronicity in the population dynamics of Beringian lions and brown bears, presenting multiple waves of dispersal across the Bering Land Bridge, particularly during times of low sea levels (the glacial periods).
  • It also traced simultaneous localized extinctions of these species in Eastern Beringia during a phase known as Marine Isotope Stage 3.
  • These findings re-emphasize the essential biogeographical function of the Bering Land Bridge in guiding species distribution, survival, and evolution among the megafaunal populations in North America.

Cite This Article

APA
Salis AT, Bray SCE, Lee MSY, Heiniger H, Barnett R, Burns JA, Doronichev V, Fedje D, Golovanova L, Harington CR, Hockett B, Kosintsev P, Lai X, Mackie Q, Vasiliev S, Weinstock J, Yamaguchi N, Meachen JA, Cooper A, Mitchell KJ. (2021). Lions and brown bears colonized North America in multiple synchronous waves of dispersal across the Bering Land Bridge. Mol Ecol, 31(24), 6407-6421. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16267

Publication

Molecular ecology
ISSN: 1365-294X
NlmUniqueID: 9214478
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 31
Issue: 24
Pages: 6407-6421

Researcher Affiliations

Salis, Alexander T
  • Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
  • Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA.
Bray, Sarah C E
  • Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
  • Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Lee, Michael S Y
  • College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Heiniger, Holly
  • Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Barnett, Ross
  • Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Burns, James A
  • Curator Emeritus, Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Doronichev, Vladimir
  • ANO Laboratory of Prehistory, St Petersburg, Russia.
Fedje, Daryl
  • Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C, Canada.
Golovanova, Liubov
  • ANO Laboratory of Prehistory, St Petersburg, Russia.
Harington, C Richard
  • Curator Emeritus and Research Associate, Research Division (Paleobiology), Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada.
Hockett, Bryan
  • US Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Reno, Nevada, USA.
Kosintsev, Pavel
  • Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
  • Department of History, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Lai, Xulong
  • State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Mackie, Quentin
  • Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C, Canada.
Vasiliev, Sergei
  • Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia.
Weinstock, Jacobo
  • Faculty of Humanities (Archaeology), University of Southampton, UK.
Yamaguchi, Nobuyuki
  • Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, University Malaysia Terengganu, Kuala Nerus, Malaysia.
Meachen, Julie A
  • Anatomy Department, Des Moines University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA.
Cooper, Alan
  • South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Mitchell, Kieren J
  • Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
  • Department of Zoology, Otago Palaeogenetics Laboratory, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Horses / genetics
  • Animals
  • Ursidae / genetics
  • Lions
  • Phylogeny
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics
  • North America

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