Hybridization capture of larch (Larix Mill.) chloroplast genomes from sedimentary ancient DNA reveals past changes of Siberian forest
<p>Siberian larch (<em>Larix</em> Mill.) forests dominate vast areas of northern Russia and contribute important ecosystem services to the earth. To be able to predict future responses of these forests to a changing climate, it is important to understand also past dynamics of larch populations. One well-preserved archive to study vegetation changes of the past is sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) extracted from lake sediment cores. We studied a lake sediment core covering 6700 calibrated years BP, from the Taymyr region in northern Siberia. To enrich the sedaDNA for DNA of our focal species <em>Larix</em>, we combine shotgun sequencing and hybridization capture with long-range PCR-generated baits covering the complete <em>Larix</em> chloroplast genome. In comparison to shotgun sequencing, hybridization capture results in an increase of taxonomically classified reads by several orders of magnitude and the recovery of near-complete chloroplast genomes of <em>Larix</em>. Variation in the chloroplast reads confirm an invasion of <em>Larix gmelinii</em> into the range of <em>Larix sibirica</em> before 6700 years ago. In this time span, both species can be detected at the site, although larch populations have decreased from a forested area to a single-tree tundra at present. This study demonstrates for the first time that hybridization capture applied to ancient DNA from lake sediments can provide genome-scale information and is a viable tool for studying past changes of a specific taxon.</p>