SPELEA

Study of Past Environments Leading to Emerging research Approaches

01/07/2016 to 31/10/2016

Previous studies on extinct Pleistocene megafauna attempted to decipher species’ responses to environmental change through genetic studies and palaeodietary reconstruction. However, none of these studies addressed the issue whether changes in palaeodiet represent evolutionary processes or are instead a result of environmentally induced plasticity. The present research aims to address the aforementioned question by combining ancient DNA research with palaeoecological study using stable isotope and tooth microwear analyses to explore the response of Late Pleistocene cave bear populations to environmental heterogeneity in caves from the Carpathians (Romania). The project will couple the ecology and molecular biology background of the applicant, Ioana Meleg, with the specialist knowledge, facilities and research training opportunities at the University of Potsdam and the University of Tübingen.