Studying goose domestication through archaeological finds has been challenging due to the similar skeletal morphology of the European domestic goose and its wild progenitor, the greylag goose (Anser anser). We analyzed stable carbon (delta 13C) and nitrogen (delta 15N) isotopes from bone collagen of subfossil domestic and potentially domestic geese to investigate dietary differences indicative of domestication. These samples were previously analyzed for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which can distinguish between wild greylag geese and their domestic form, although some specimens exhibited atypical mtDNA haplotypes or haplotypes belonging to other wild Anser species. We also verified the chronological age of the bones through radiocarbon dating, which yielded dates ranging from the Medieval to Postmedieval periods (600-1600 ce). We revealed that some Russian domestic geese were probably supplementary fed with fodder fertilized with animal manure, while others were allowed to free-roam, indicating variable goose management practices in the Middle Volga region. Some of the geese exhibited high delta 15N values, which may indicate the inclusion of animal protein in the diet, and one goose showed evidence of marine components or consumption of either C4-plants growing in arid or saline habitats or manure-fertilized agricultural C4 plants. Stable isotope analysis was informative regarding supplementary feeding, but could not reliably determine wild or domestic status, as some genetically domestic geese exhibited low delta 15N values, suggesting a wild-like diet. Therefore, the domestic or wild status of specimens with taiga bean goose mtDNA remains unresolved. Tamed wild geese also present a limitation to this method, as they may receive the same diet as domestic geese.

Aim Taxonomic identification, population demographics and genetic structure reconstruction of the historical Lake Ladoga sturgeon population, followed by assessment of admixture and gene flow of Atlantic and European sturgeons within the Baltic and broader European context.Location Archaeological site at Staraya Ladoga (Zemlyanoe Gorodishche), encompassing samples from Lake Ladoga and the Volkhov River in north-western Russia.Taxon Atlantic (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and European (A. sturio) sturgeons.Methods A total of 7130 sturgeon bones dated to the 9th-10th centuries CE were morphologically examined to determine their species identity. Age (n = 51) and catch season (n = 33) were reconstructed. Genetic analyses of remains from Ladoga (n = 45) and other European localities (n = 48) were conducted using three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragments, seven microsatellite loci (STRs), and one SNP-informative microsatellite locus (Aox23) to assess species composition, ancestry, admixture, and gene flow with other sturgeon populations, including published historical Baltic (n = 62) and contemporary samples from France and Canada (n = 184).Results Age analysis showed a bias toward large, older individuals that were likely caught during spring-early summer spawning migrations. The Atlantic sturgeon was the dominant species, based on both morphology (83%) and genetic analysis. None of the individuals were identified as pure European sturgeon or first-generation hybrids. Only 5% of STR alleles showed European sturgeon ancestry, and 11% of individuals carried its diagnostic mtDNA haplotype. Admixed samples were found in the Ladoga region, Baltic Sea and North Sea.Main Conclusions Our findings revealed the historical dominance of the Atlantic sturgeon in Lake Ladoga and across Northern Europe including the North Sea. It also sheds new light on the colonisation process, suggesting a rapid Atlantic sturgeon expansion into north-eastern Europe with minimal hybridization with European sturgeon during this phase. This study highlights past connectivity among sturgeon stocks in Europe and underscores the importance of preserving migration routes and habitats to maintain gene flow, which is critical for effective sturgeon restoration.

In archaeological assemblages, differentiating the European domestic goose and its wild progenitor, the greylag goose (Anser anser), has been challenging due to their similar skeletal morphologies. A short region of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysed from ancient DNA (aDNA) has been shown to distinguish wild greylags from domestic geese, but some ancient specimens display atypical haplotypes or haplotypes belonging to other wild Anser species. Plumage colouration could verify the domestic status of archaeological geese, as white or mottled plumage would be indicative of domestication. We analysed a SNP upstream of the EDNRB2 gene (endothelin receptor B-like) linked to white spotting and a 1-bp deletion in the Z-chromosomal MLANA gene (melan-A), causative of sex-linked dilution colour (almost white male and light grey female) in European domestic geese. Together, white spotting and sex-linked dilution result in white plumage. We also analysed a Chinese domestic goose (A. cygnoid)-specific 14-bp insertion within the EDNRB2 gene, which also causes white colour, and searched for possible evidence of historical interbreeding between European and Chinese domestic geese. We detected several plumage colour patterns such as solid wild type, white spotted (i.e., saddleback), nearly white with some grey spots, and white or autosexing with of 'almost white male and saddleback female'. Further, we discovered that European domestic geese had introgression from the Chinese domestic goose at least occasionally, from the 16th-17th century Common Era, due to the presence of both European and Chinese domestic goose white alleles in a single individual.

The origins and prehistory of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are incompletely understood; to address this, we generated data from 118 ancient genomes spanning 12,000 years sampled from across Eurasia. Genomes from Central Türkiye ~8000 BCE are genetically proximal to the domestic origins of sheep but do not fully explain the ancestry of later populations, suggesting a mosaic of wild ancestries. Genomic signatures indicate selection by ancient herders for pigmentation patterns, hornedness, and growth rate. Although the first European sheep flocks derive from Türkiye, in a notable parallel with ancient human genome discoveries, we detected a major influx of Western steppe-related ancestry in the Bronze Age.

The article presents the results of a comprehensive study of the osteological collection obtained during the study of a large dwelling at the Lebyazhinka VI Eneolithic settlement in the forest-steppe Trans-Volga region. Most of the animal bones are likely associated with the population that lived at the settlement in the Late Eneolithic and left Gundorovo-type pottery (so-called “inner ridge” pottery). It has been established that the basis of life support of the settlement inhabitants was highly developed hunting (for animals and birds) and fishing. The species composition of hunted mammals indicates the existence of a targeted fur trade at the settlement, which was confined to the cold season. Apparently, the meat of all the animals caught was used as food. Birds, fish, and turtles were hunted during the warm season. The meat diet also included a small amount of beef, lamb, and goat meat. It has been suggested that the population of the settlement did not breed cattle themselves, but traded them for fur from cattle-breeding tribes.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the study of the image of fish in the rock art of ancient hunters and fishermen of Northern Europe (final VI – III BC). During the study, 134 fish figures were studied on 6 rock paintings and in 17 clusters of petroglyphs of Fennoscandia. The small proportion of fish figures in relation to the total number of images on the rocks of the region, with a high proportion of fishing in the primitive economy, established by bone remains at Neo-Eneolithic sites, suggests a mythological basis for the images under consideration. Spatial differences in the appearance of fish figures in Northern Europe make it possible to distinguish two areas (western and eastern), radically different in the style of the ichthyomorph image. The rock art mainly reflects representatives of the largest fish species that lived in the region: catfish, sturgeon, halibut, pike, salmon, whitefish. In the bone remains at the sites located near the clusters of rock carvings, other types of fish are usually dominant: zander, cod. In the compositions of fishing, as in other hunting scenes carved on the petroglyphs of Fennoscandia, only active methods of its extraction are presented, although there is numerous archaeological evidence of the use by the inhabitants of the region for catching fish and other animals of various types of traps.

The article presents the description of archaeozoological study of animal bones from the Staryye Chuti campsite of the Srubnaya culture on the Ik River. An osteological collection with more than 3000 bones was investigated. There are different categories of bone remains by their origin: kitchen garbage, remnants of craft and ritual complexes. In collection there are bones of all domestic ungulates species, dogs, foxes, beavers, birds, and fish, as well as mollusk shells. The kitchen remnants are significantly dominated by bones of cattle, whose meat constituted the major part of the meat diet of the settlement inhabitants. Horse meat, mutton, goat meat and pork were eaten in much smaller quantities. For large domestic ungulates and small cattle the several forms of exploitation have been established. Slaughtering of livestock at the settlement was carried out all year round. There was no selectivity of particular species slaughtering during certain season of the year. Hunting of wild mammals and birds and fishing played an insignificant role in economic activity. A detailed study of animal bone sets from filling and bottom of wells allows us to assume the connection of them with sacrificial complexes. The main parameters of the collection are similar to the ones from synchronous settlement of Eastern Europe, for which the mobile form of cattle breeding has been reconstructed.

Matching the timing of spring arrival to the breeding grounds with hosts and prey is crucial for migratory brood parasites such as cuckoos. Previous studies have focused mostly on phenological mismatch between a single cuckoo species and its hosts but information regarding climate-driven mismatch between multiple sympatric cuckoo species and their hosts and invertebrate prey is still lacking. Here, we analysed long-term data (1988–2023) on the first arrival date of two declining migratory cuckoo species and their 14 migratory host species breeding in sympatry and prey emergence date in Tatarstan (southeast Russia). We found that the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus; wintering in Africa) generally arrived on breeding grounds earlier than the oriental cuckoo (Cuculus optatus; wintering in southeast Asia and Australia). Both cuckoos have advanced their arrival dates over 36 years but less than their hosts, potentially resulting in an increasing arrival mismatch between cuckoos and their hosts. Moreover, cuckoo arrival advanced less than the emergence date of their prey over time. These observations indicate that climate change may disrupt co-fluctuation in the phenology of important life stages between multiple sympatric brood parasites, their hosts and prey with potential cascading consequences for population dynamics of involved species.

In 2016, archaeological excavations were carried out for the first time in the settlement of Samarovsky Yam (Khanty-Mansiysk) directed by I.Yu. Chikunova. The cultural layers of the 17th–20th centuries have been studied. This publication introduces the information and materials obtained during the excavations, and the results of the analysis of fish remains. Evidence has been found of the great flood of 1771, which left a thick sterile layer. This layer separated the cultural deposits of the 18th century. Stratigraphic data, coupled with the analysis of distribu-tion of various finds of wood, leather, metal, and molded, pottery and glazed ceramic ware, make it possible, in support of archival data, to trace on specific material the economic structure and changes in the level of economy of the first Russian population of Samarovsky Yam. Archaeoichthyological material is also a valuable informative archaeological source. The fish remains helped to clarify the species, size, age, and time of catching fish in the past. The study of the fish bone and scale remains made it possible to establish that whitefish species predomi-nated in the net fishing of the population of the Samarovsky Yam.

This is a study of initial stages of adaptation of the ancient human population to the use of aquatic food supplies in the White Sea. The main aim of archaeozoological analysis was to study the processes of formation of faunal remains and strategies on seals hunting during the Eneolithic in the White Sea region. The archaeological source material consists of faunal remains recovered from two Eneolithic sites of the Kandalaksha bay. The results of archaeozoological studies confirmed the high importance of the ringed seal and harp seal in the hunting prey of the inhabitants of the studied sites. Eneolithic hunting strategies of the White Sea region were closely related to the behavioral and ecological patterns of seals. The seal hunt was based on a model of exploiting a massive seasonal resource. Hunting pressure on the ringed seal and harp seal populations was significant. Seals were the main suppliers of meat, skin and fat for the inhabitants of the Eneolithic sites of this part of Fennoscandia. The studies of the lithic tools from the Early Metal period settlements from Kandalaksha bay provide additional evidences of a specialized marine hunting. Apparently, in the Eneolithic (IV – III millennia calBC), the economic and cultural type of sea hunters was formed on the shores of the White Sea.

Since one of the peculiarities of the evolutionary history of representatives of the genus Equus (horses, asses and zebras) is the high similarity of the morphology of the skeletons of different species of this genus, morphometric characteristics do not always make it possible to determine the species identity of the discovered horse bone samples. This is especially true for scattered bones and incomplete teeth found separately from whole skeletons. In such a situation, molecular genetic analysis becomes important, which makes it possible to more accurately determine the species. On the basis of mitogenomic data alone, it is difficult to determine whether a sample belongs to a domestic or wild horse; this requires genome-wide analysis. Based on the mitogenome data, it is possible to distinguish clearly different species of the genus Equus from each other. In this work, the authors studied 4 bone samples of ancient horses and 1 bone sample of a medieval horse, found in the Middle Volga region and Southern Siberia. Using the target enrichment method, mitogenomic libraries were obtained for them and their high-throughput sequencing was carried out. Secondary bioinformatics analysis and subsequent analysis of individual reads and phylogenetic reconstructions based on the consensus sequences of the mitogenomes of the studied samples, modern horses from different regions of the world and reference sequences of the domestic horse, Lena horse, Ovodov horse and onager demonstrated the attribution of the studied samples to the above-mentioned species of the genus Equus. Authors’ data showed the preference for using genome-wide sequences to determine the species identity of ancient and modern samples compared to the analysis of individual genetic markers.

We show for the first time the results of a study into the spatial distribution of birds in forests at the eastern edge of Europe (Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) and changes from early to late winter. A transect method was used to census randomly selected plots spread over a large geographical area in the winters 2018/9–2022/3. We used regression and ordination methods to assess the influence of key environmental factors on species richness, total density of birds, biological diversity, and the probabilities of occurrence of individual species. The most abundant bird species in early winter was the Willow Tit, and in the late winter was the Common Redpoll. Compared with the end of the 20th century, the number of wintering bird species has increased in the study area, likely due to climate warming. Species richness, total density, and the Shannon Index of diversity were higher in early winter than in late winter. Species richness and the Shannon Index were also higher at low elevations and in the west of the study region. Our research shows strong ecological-geographical differences in the preferences of individual bird species in the studied forests. However, almost without exception, birds had a higher probability of occurrence at lower elevation and toward the west.

Knowledge of the historical and present dynamics of populations of migratory fish can promote our understanding of factors affecting their recruitment and abundance. Taxonomic identification of 23,802 bone remains and 13,539 scales of fish from 30 archaeological sites along Volga River revealed that they belonged to 41 different fish species. These data allow for retrospective comparisons and highlight the potential of archaeozoology in conservation biology. Sturgeons and salmonids are vulnerable to the impacts of fishery and climatic change. The sharp decline in the numbers of Starry sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus), Caspian trout (Salmo caspius), and Caspian Inconnu (Stenodus leucichthys) from the Volga in the 17th and 18th centuries was likely related to a cooling period (“Little Ice Age”). At present, the population numbers of all anadromous sturgeons and salmonids of the Volga River are critically low. In the Volga basin over the past two millennia, the sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) has had a very large population number, high genetic (haplogroups and haplotypes) diversity, and large body sizes. Genetic analysis (aDNA and eDNA) have great potential to expand the knowledge of fish populations along large rivers and to improve long-term biomonitoring. Therefore, analyses of historical data, conventional surveys, as well as the inclusion of genetic approaches complement each other in the development of effective conservation strategies.

Recent excavations of the site of Fofanovo XIII (ca. 3500 to 3000 cal BC) on the western shore of Lake Onega, Russian Karelian, yielded evidence of production of Russian Karelian axes and adzes, as well as a rich faunal assemblage. Consisting mainly of unburnt bones, this assemblage represents a rare occurrence in Karelia and the neighboring regions of Russia and Finland, and sheds light on the subsistence of the Late Neolithic / Eneolithic populations of the Lake Onega. Fish bones overwhelmingly dominate, indicating a primary reliance on aquatic food resources, with the most common species being zander (over 80 %) and pike (ca. 9 %). In the specific natural conditions of the Early Subboreal in Lake Onega, zander was the species that could yield the maximal return of the invested effort, and this caused a very narrow specialization of fishing activities. The stable food supply provided by fishing favored tendencies towards complexity, which are evident through studies of the Russian Karelian industry. The analysis of the annual rings of zander vertebrae indicates that the site was in use during the snowless season. The identification of ringed seal, Atlantic sturgeon, and Wels catfish, which are not present in the lake nowadays, are also important results of the analysis.

Abstract We have studied the historical and current distribution of brown trout, European grayling, and Volga nase in the Republic of Tatarstan. The influence of environmental variables on the current distribution of these fish was assessed using regression methods. The probability of occurrence in small rivers of all three fish species is currently low, ranging from 2.8 to 5.3%. Each of the recorded environmental variables had statistically significant relationships with presence/absence of at least one fish species, but only two variables (elevation and human impact) significantly affected the probability of occurrence of all species in the study.

We studied the populations of four seed-eating bird species throughout the winter during a 30-year study in the forests of the Tatarstan Republic, Russia. Numbers of all species fluctuated from year-to-year by several orders of magnitude but with a significant underlying trend for increased numbers associated with rising temperatures and a greater food supply. We question whether the traditional view that such birds move further south only after exhausting the food supply is too simplistic. We believe that the severity of winter, or lack of it, is highly influential on the mortality and movements of these characteristic birds of the boreal forest zone.

The article analyzes studies of bone assemblages of birds of prey from medieval and post-medieval archaeological sites in the Volga River basin territory. We provide data on the presence of birds of prey: Accipitriformes (hawks and eagles), Falconiformes (falcons), and Strigiformes (owls) within the Volga region during the Middle Ages and post-Middle Ages (4th-18th centuries AD) in bird communities from 15 archaeological sites. Archaeological bird of prey remains from the Volga basin could contribute to the understanding of the interaction between different ethnic groups in the region within the context of human-nature interaction. In quantitative terms, the clear predominance of the northern goshawk and white-tailed sea-eagle, as well as the high proportion of the Eurasian sparrowhawk and relatively high species diversity of falcons and owls observed in medieval time, indicates social or environmental context has changed in a short period of time. The use of birds of prey by the various ethnic groups in the Volga River basin was multifaceted, including for falconry/hawking practice, feathers, amulets, or ornaments and for religious/politics ceremonies.

The first arrival dates of 31 species of migrant birds in the Tatarstan Republic of Russia were monitored for the 34-year period from 1989-2022. Trends in first arrival date were evaluated using regression against the year value. Patterns in arrival data with respect to species traits (habitat, migration distance, body weight, etc.) were evaluated using redundancy analysis. Relationships between first arrival dates and Tatarstan temperatures were also evaluated using regression methods of first-arrival date on monthly mean temperatures. Almost all (28 of 31) species revealed a significantly earlier migration arrival date; however, associations between arrival patterns and species traits were equivocal. Warmer temperatures were significantly associated with earlier arrival in 26 of the 31 species, but the relationship was insufficient to explain the average 11-day advance in species. For these species and in this location only the timing and location of arrival are well recorded; the exact wintering areas and migration routes, and the timing of these phases are less well understood. When these become better known, an investigation of the influence of environmental conditions (including temperature) on departure timing and passage timing and speed is recommended.

This is a preliminary and exploratory study of cranial variation in European populations of grayling. We investigated the correspondence between size/shape variation of the dorsal ( dc ), ventral ( vc ) and occipital ( oc ) cranium and phylogenetic relationships (inferred from mitochondrial control region – mtDNA cr and microsatellite dna data) of six grayling populations: three from Balkan phylogenetic clade and two from Caspian phylogenetic clade of the European grayling Thymallus thymallus and one population of the Adriatic grayling Thymallus aeliani , which until recently was considered the Adriatic phylogenetic clade of T. thymallus . Significant size and shape differences were found between populations in all three cranial views. However, significant size-related shape variation (allometry) was found for dc and vc , but not for oc . The size variation of each cranial view does not contain phylogenetic signal, but size variation of oc is consistent with genetic variation inferred from microsatellite dna . Regarding shape variation, a significant phylogenetic signal was detected only for oc , and only the shape variation of oc is consistent with the genetic variation inferred from the mtDNA cr . Moreover, the Adriatic grayling T. aeliani (Soča population) was clearly separated from the three T. thymallus populations of the Balkan phylogenetic clade and the two T. thymallus populations of the Caspian phylogenetic clade only at the level of oc . Thus, our results suggest that different cranial regions differ in allometry, reflect phylo(genetic) relationships differently, and exhibit differences in ecophenotypic plasticity, with oc seeming best suited to represent the phylogenetic relationships of the grayling populations studied.

The pronounced growth in livestock populations since the 1950s has altered the epidemiological and evolutionary trajectory of their associated pathogens. For example, Marek's disease virus (MDV), which causes lymphoid tumors in chickens, has experienced a marked increase in virulence over the past century. Today, MDV infections kill >90% of unvaccinated birds, and controlling it costs more than US$1 billion annually. By sequencing MDV genomes derived from archeological chickens, we demonstrate that it has been circulating for at least 1000 years. We functionally tested the Meq oncogene, one of 49 viral genes positively selected in modern strains, demonstrating that ancient MDV was likely incapable of driving tumor formation. Our results demonstrate the power of ancient DNA approaches to trace the molecular basis of virulence in economically relevant pathogens.