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History of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the eastern Baltic region and its implications for the origin and immigration routes of the recent northern European wild reindeer populations

Ukkonen, Pirkko LU ; Lougas, L ; Zagorska, I ; Luksevica, L ; Luksevics, E ; Daugnora, L and Jungner, H (2006) In Boreas 35(2). p.222-230
Abstract
A total of 45 subfossil reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antlers and bones - artefacts excluded - have been found over the years in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The relatively high number of specimens suggests a stable residence of the species in the eastern Baltic region. For the first time, 12 of these finds were radiocarbon-dated. The ages of the samples range between 12085 and 9970 C-14 yr BP (14180-11280 cal. yr BP), and cover the Lateglacial and early Holocene, a time period during which climatic conditions shifted from periglacial to temperate. The dates suggest a rapid colonization of the area during the deglaciation period and a local extinction around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The results of the... (More)
A total of 45 subfossil reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antlers and bones - artefacts excluded - have been found over the years in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The relatively high number of specimens suggests a stable residence of the species in the eastern Baltic region. For the first time, 12 of these finds were radiocarbon-dated. The ages of the samples range between 12085 and 9970 C-14 yr BP (14180-11280 cal. yr BP), and cover the Lateglacial and early Holocene, a time period during which climatic conditions shifted from periglacial to temperate. The dates suggest a rapid colonization of the area during the deglaciation period and a local extinction around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The results of the study do not support the theory that the recent wild reindeer populations of northern Europe had their origin in the Late Weichselian reindeer populations of the eastern Baltic region. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Boreas
volume
35
issue
2
pages
222 - 230
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000237859600005
  • scopus:33746805071
ISSN
1502-3885
DOI
10.1080/03009480600578065
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
334af687-c3ff-4023-93a8-630b8b5da231 (old id 408429)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:04:52
date last changed
2022-03-05 18:38:37
@article{334af687-c3ff-4023-93a8-630b8b5da231,
  abstract     = {{A total of 45 subfossil reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antlers and bones - artefacts excluded - have been found over the years in the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The relatively high number of specimens suggests a stable residence of the species in the eastern Baltic region. For the first time, 12 of these finds were radiocarbon-dated. The ages of the samples range between 12085 and 9970 C-14 yr BP (14180-11280 cal. yr BP), and cover the Lateglacial and early Holocene, a time period during which climatic conditions shifted from periglacial to temperate. The dates suggest a rapid colonization of the area during the deglaciation period and a local extinction around the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. The results of the study do not support the theory that the recent wild reindeer populations of northern Europe had their origin in the Late Weichselian reindeer populations of the eastern Baltic region.}},
  author       = {{Ukkonen, Pirkko and Lougas, L and Zagorska, I and Luksevica, L and Luksevics, E and Daugnora, L and Jungner, H}},
  issn         = {{1502-3885}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{222--230}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Boreas}},
  title        = {{History of the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the eastern Baltic region and its implications for the origin and immigration routes of the recent northern European wild reindeer populations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03009480600578065}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/03009480600578065}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}