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Over a century of paleoecological investigations have been dedicated to studying the preserved hard parts of organisms contained in geological archives. Although the fossil record has revealed valuable insights into past ecosystems, the vast majority of past life has remained undetected due to a lack of preservation. Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), DNA sourced from proximal organisms and preserved in coeval sediments, is upending that limitation in the Late Quaternary record. Owing to recent advances in sequencing technology and genetics techniques, one small sediment sample can yield a broad snapshot of a past ecosystem, indicating the presence of species from microbes to mammals. 

Abstract. Distributions of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are frequently employed for reconstructing terrestrial paleotemperaturesfrom lake sediment archives. Although brGDGTs are globally ubiquitous, the microbial producers of these membrane lipids remain unknown, precluding afull understanding of the ways in which environmental parameters control their production and distribution. Here, we advance this understanding inthree ways. First, we present 43 new high-latitude lake sites characterized by low mean annual air temperatures (MATs) and high seasonality, fillingan important gap in the global dataset. Second, we introduce a new approach for analyzing brGDGT data in which compound fractional abundances (FAs)are calculated within structural groups based on methylation number, methylation position, and cyclization number. Finally, we perform linear andnonlinear regressions of the resulting FAs against a suite of environmental parameters in a compiled global lake sediment dataset(n = 182). We find that our approach deconvolves temperature, conductivity, and pH trends in brGDGTs without increasing calibration errorsfrom the standard approach. We also find that it reveals novel patterns in brGDGT distributions and provides a methodology for investigating thebiological underpinnings of their structural diversity. Warm-season temperature indices outperformed MAT in our regressions, with the mean temperature of months abovefreezing yielding the highest-performing model (adjusted R2 = 0.91, RMSE = 1.97 ∘C, n = 182). The naturallogarithm of conductivity had the second-strongest relationship to brGDGT distributions (adjusted R2 = 0.83, RMSE = 0.66,n = 143), notably outperforming pH in our dataset (adjusted R2 = 0.73, RMSE = 0.57, n = 154) and providing a potential newproxy for paleohydrology applications. We recommend these calibrations for use in lake sediments globally, including at high latitudes, and detailthe advantages and disadvantages of each. 

The North Atlantic was a key locus for circulation-driven abrupt climate change in the past and could play a similar role in the future. Abrupt cold reversals, including the 8.2 ka event, punctuated the otherwise warm early Holocene in the North Atlantic region and serve as useful paleo examples of rapid climate change. In this work, we assess the cryospheric response to early Holocene climate history on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, using cosmogenic radionuclide dating of moraines. We present 39 new 10Be ages from four sets of multi-crested early Holocene moraines deposited by cirque glaciers and ice cap outlet glaciers, as well as erratic boulders along adjacent fiords to constrain the timing of regional deglaciation. The age of one moraine is additionally constrained by in situ 14C measurements, which confirm 10Be inheritance in some samples. All four moraines were deposited between ~9.2 and 8.0 ka, and their average ages coincide with abrupt coolings at 9.3 and 8.2 ka that are recorded in Greenland ice cores. Freshwater delivery to the North Atlantic that reduced the flux of warm Atlantic water into Baffin Bay may explain brief intervals of glacier advance, although moraine formation cannot be definitively tied to centennial-scale cold reversals. We thus explore other possible contributing factors, including ice dynamics related to retreat of Laurentide Ice Sheet outlet glaciers. Using a numerical glacier model, we show that the debuttressing effect of trunk valley deglaciation may have contributed to these morainebuilding events. These new age constraints and process insights highlight the complex behavior of the cryosphere during regional deglaciation and suggest that multiple abrupt cold reversalsdas well as deglacial ice dynamicsdlikely played a role in early Holocene moraine formation on Baffin Island. 

Summer warming is driving a greening trend across the Arctic, with the potential for large-scale amplification of climate change due to vegetation-related feedbacks [Pearson et al.,Nat. Clim. Chang.(3), 673–677 (2013)]. Because observational records are sparse and temporally limited, past episodes of Arctic warming can help elucidate the magnitude of vegetation response to temperature change. The Last Interglacial ([LIG], 129,000 to 116,000 y ago) was the most recent episode of Arctic warming on par with predicted 21st century temperature change [Otto-Bliesner et al.,Philos. Trans. A Math. Phys. Eng. Sci.(371), 20130097 (2013) and Post et al.,Sci.Adv. (5), eaaw9883 (2019)]. However, high-latitude terrestrial records from this period are rare, so LIG vegetation distributions are incompletely known. Pollen-based vegetation reconstructions can be biased by long-distance pollen transport, further obscuring the paleoenvironmental record. Here, we present a LIG vegetation record based on ancient DNA in lake sediment and compare it with fossil pollen. Comprehensive plant community reconstructions through the last and current interglacial (the Holocene) on Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, reveal coherent climate-driven community shifts across both interglacials. Peak LIG warmth featured a ∼400-km northward range shift of dwarf birch, a key woody shrub that is again expanding northward. Greening of the High Arctic—documented here by multiple proxies—likely represented a strong positive feedback on high-latitude LIG warming. Authenticated ancient DNA from this lake sediment also extends the useful preservation window for the technique and highlights the utility of combining traditional and molecular approaches for gleaning paleoenvironmental insights to better anticipate a warmer future.

 

The Arctic has warmed three times the rate of the global average, resulting in extensive thaw of perennially frozen ground known as permafrost. While it is well understood that permafrost thaw will continue and likely accelerate, thaw rates are nonuniform due, in part, to the expansion of Arctic trees and tall shrubs that may increase ground temperatures. However, in permafrost regions with short‐stature vegetation (height < 40 cm), our understanding of how ground temperature regimes vary by vegetation type is limited as these sites are generally found in remote high‐latitude regions that lack in situ ground temperature measurements. This study aims to overcome this limitation by leveraging in situ shallow ground temperatures, remote sensing observations, and topographic parameters across 22 sites with varying types of short‐stature vegetation on Baffin Island, Canada, a remote region underlain by rapidly warming continuous permafrost. Results suggest that the type of short‐stature vegetation does not necessarily correspond to a distinct shallow ground temperature regime. Instead, in permafrost regions with short‐stature vegetation, factors that control snow duration, such as microtopography, may have a larger effect on evolving ground temperature regimes and thus permafrost vulnerability. These findings suggest that anticipating permafrost thaw in regions of short‐stature vegetation may be more nuanced than previously suggested.

 

Paleotemperature histories derived from lake sediment archives provide valuable context for modern and future climate changes. Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (brGDGT) lipids are a valuable tool in such pursuits due to their empirical correlation with temperature and near ubiquity in nature. However, the relative contributions of terrestrial and lacustrine sources of brGDGTs to lake sediments is site‐dependent and difficult to constrain. Here, we explored the potential for intact brGDGTs—the complete lipids with polar head groups (HGs) still attached—to provide insight into the sources of brGDGTs on the landscape and their contributions to the sedimentary record in a set of Arctic lakes. We measured core and intact brGDGTs in soils, surface and downcore sediments, water filtrates, and sediment traps across five lake catchments in the Eastern Canadian Arctic, with an emphasis on Lake Qaupat (QPT), Baffin Island. Soils were dominated by brGDGTs with a monoglycosyl (1G) HG, while lacustrine samples contained more phosphohexose (PH) brGDGTs, providing evidence for in situ brGDGT production in both settings. Core‐ and PH‐brGDGT‐IIIa were more abundant in sediments than in the soils or water column, implying an additional post‐depositional source of brGDGTs. A hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that core brGDGTs in Lake QPT sediments were largely lacustrine in origin, while 1G‐brGDGTs were primarily soil‐derived. Additionally, we found evidence for preservation of intact brGDGTs—especially 1G‐brGDGTs—downcore on thousand‐year timespans, though in situ production deeper in the sediment column cannot be ruled out. Finally, we explored the possibility of reconstructing 1G‐brGDGT‐derived soil temperatures and core‐brGDGT‐derived lake temperatures in tandem from sedimentary archives.