Ancient Genomics of Atlantic Cetaceans
Cetaceans in the Atlantic Ocean have experienced dramatic population declines over historic times, largely due to intensive commercial exploitation that targeted animals with high oil yields and easily accessible behaviour. Although some populations persist today, others are thought to have disappeared entirely, leaving major gaps in our understanding of past distributions, population structure, and human–cetacean interactions. This project focusses on shotgun sequencing of historic cetacean specimens to investigate their former presence and diversity.
Cetaceans in the Atlantic Ocean have experienced dramatic population declines over historic times, largely due to intensive commercial exploitation that targeted animals with high oil yields and easily accessible behaviour. Although some populations persist today, others are thought to have disappeared entirely, leaving major gaps in our understanding of past distributions, population structure, and human–cetacean interactions. This project focusses on shotgun sequencing of historic cetacean specimens to investigate their former presence and diversity.
Cardiff University