Mateusz Baca

University of Warsaw | UW · Laboratory of Paleogenetics and Conservation Genetics, Center of New Technologies

Climatic oscillations are considered primary factors influencing the distribution of various life forms on Earth. Large species adapted to cold climates are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to climate changes. In our study, we investigated whether temperature increase since the Late Pleistocene and the contraction of environmental niche du...

Foraminifera are important marine environmental indicators widely used in paleoceanography and paleoclimate studies. They are a dominant component of meiobenthic communities around the Antarctic continental shelf, including rarely studied locations below the ice shelves, close to the grounding line. In this study, we use high-throughput sequencing...

The extremely rich palaeontological record of the horse family, also known as equids, has provided many examples of macroevolutionary change over the last ~55 Mya. This family is also one of the most documented at the palaeogenomic level, with hundreds of ancient genomes sequenced. While these data have advanced understanding of the domestication h...

This article presents a double burial from Czulice indicating elements of the Hunnic culture. Individual I, aged 7–9, and Individual II, aged 8–9 with a skull deformation, were both genetically identified as boys. Individual II, who exhibited genetic affinity to present day Asian populations, was equipped with gold and silver items. In contrast, In...

Supplementary Data S6 for article Unveiling Hunnic legacy. Decoding elite presence in Poland through a unique child’s burial with modified cranium.

Supplementary Information for article Unveiling Hunnic legacy. Decoding elite presence in Poland through a unique child’s burial with modified cranium.

Supplementary Data S1-5 for article Unveiling Hunnic legacy. Decoding elite presence in Poland through a unique child’s burial with modified cranium.

The Afghan pika Ochotona rufescens (Gray, 1842) is widely distributed across the mountains of Afghanistan, Iran, Pak- istan, and southwestern Turkmenistan, most often at eleva- tions between 2,0 0 0 and 3,0 0 0 m. Here we present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial genomes of two spec- imens of the nominotypical subspecies Ochotona rufe...

The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as one of the main drivers of the species’ population history. However, analyses based solely on extant genetic diversity may not recover the full complexity of Late Pleistocene population dynami...

Hares (genus Lepus) are widely distributed in Europe, and they are adapted to various types of habitats. Many species are known to hybridise, and previous molecular genetic studies have revealed recurrent introgressions between species at all stages of the genus’s radiation. The Don hare (Lepus tanaiticus) was described from the Late Pleistocene of...

The mandible of a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was found in osteological material collected during archaeological excavations at Ojców Castle (southern Poland). The bone fragment was radiocarbon dated and subjected to ancient DNA analysis. The age of this guinea pig mandible fragment was directly dated between the late 16th and the early 17th centu...

Although caves have been used for funerary purposes almost since the dawn of time, there is very little evidence of such use in Central European Barbaricum. This paper presents newly obtained results from the Cracow Upland (southern Poland) concerning multiple skeletal remains that apparently share a similar third-fifth centuries AD chronology, cor...

The paper focuses on the Pleistocene deposits in Perspektywiczna Cave, southern Poland, related to cave hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ). We used direct radiocarbon dating of hyena fossils supported by genetic and stable isotope analyses to infer the paleobiology of this population. Radiocarbon dating of 19 hyena remains suggests long inhabitation of the...

Phylogeography and distribution of moose in Eurasia during the last 50 000 years

We present a description of an almost complete skeleton of the forest rhino (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis) found near Gorzów Wielkopolski (Northwest Poland) in its geological and palaeoenvironmental context. While finds of bones and teeth are common, the importance of this find resides in, that it is the most complete specimen of this species, alm...

The recent developments in palaeoecological reconstruction methods, collagen extraction of small bone samples and ancient DNA analyses led us to test new approaches to enhance the chronological resolution of past climate reconstructions inferred from small mammal assemblages. Grotta della Ferrovia (Fabriano, Ancona, Italy, 40 25 0 36 00 N, 13 0 0 1...

Taxonomic decisions made by palaeontologists are often based on a few morphological features preserved in the fossil material. This practice may sometimes lead to the description of new species based on single specimens, which are, in fact, extreme or aberrant morphological variants of known taxa. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of the Late Pleistocene...

The narrow-headed vole, collared lemming and common vole were the most abundant small mammal species across the Eurasian Late Pleistocene steppe-tundra environment. Previous ancient DNA studies of the collared lemming and common vole have revealed dynamic population histories shaped by climatic fluctuations. To investigate the extent to which speci...

Aim Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study invest...

Many species experienced population turnover and local extinction during the Late Pleistocene. In the case of megafauna, it remains challenging to disentangle climate change and the activities of Palaeolithic hunter‐gatherers as the main cause. In contrast, the impact of humans on rodent populations is likely to be negligible. This study investigat...

The article presents preliminary reflections on the horse in the magic and religion of the early medieval Western Slavs. They are based on data obtained within the framework of the grant entitled: “Horse in Poland in the Times of the Early Piasts and Internal Fragmentation. An Interdisciplinary Study”. During the project, data on the horse were col...

A recent study from Central Europe has changed our perception of the cat's domestication history. The authors discuss how this has led to the development of an interdisciplinary project combining palaeogenetics, zooarch-aeology and radiocarbon dating, with the aim of providing insight into the domestic cat's expansion beyond the Mediterranean.

Background Ancient DNA studies suggest that Late Pleistocene climatic changes had a significant effect on population dynamics in Arctic species. The Eurasian collared lemming ( Dicrostonyx torquatus ) is a keystone species in the Arctic ecosystem. Earlier studies have indicated that past climatic fluctuations were important drivers of past populati...

Aim The common vole is a temperate rodent widespread across Europe. It was also one of the most abundant small mammal species throughout the Late Pleistocene. Phylogeographic studies of its extant populations suggested the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5–19 ka ago) as one of the main drivers of the species’ population dynamics. However, analyses ba...

The domestic cat is the world's most popular pet and one of the most detrimental predators in terrestrial ecosystems. Effective protection of wildlife biodiversity demands detailed tracking of cat trophic ecology, and stable isotopes serve as a powerful proxy in dietary studies. However, a variable diet can make an isotopic pattern unreadable in op...

This article discusses the objectives of the Stone Age Man in Caves of the Tatra Mountains project, which aims to explain the mysterious absence of evidence for the Palaeolithic in the Tatra Mountains of Eastern Europe. We present preliminary work from Hučivá Cave, which demonstrates clear traces of Magdalenian settlement within this region.

The pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis (Merriam, 1891) is the smallest extant leporid, which naturally occurs in the Great Basin and adjacent areas in western parts of the United States of America. Its distribution is strongly associated with the sagebrush (Artemisia ssp.) vegetation. Here we present, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial...

This monographic work “Late Magdalenian Campsite at Krucza Skała Rockshelter” presents the results of interdisciplinary research at the rock shelter Krucza Skała. The research, carried out by the team of archaeologists, geologists, palaeozoologists, palynologists, physicist and geneticist, permitted the interpretation of the con­secutive phases of...

The present phylogeographic pattern of red deer in Eurasia is not only a result of the contraction of their distribution range into glacial refugia and postglacial expansion, but probably also an effect of replacement of some red deer s.l. mtDNA lineages by others during the last 50 000 years. To better recognize this process, we analysed 501 seque...

Grey voles (subgenus Microtus) represent a complex of at least seven closely related and partly cryptic species. The range of these species extends from the Atlantic to the Altai Mountains, but most of them occur east of the Black Sea. Using ancient DNA analyses of the Late Pleistocene specimens, we identified a new mtDNA line-age of grey voles in...

Tiwanaku civilization flourished in the Lake Titicaca basin between 500 and 1000 CE and at its apogee influenced wide areas across the southern Andes. Despite a considerable amount of archaeological data, little is known about the Tiwanaku population. We analyzed 17 low-coverage genomes from individuals dated between 300 and 1500 CE and demonstrate...

Cave burials are generally absent from historical periods in Europe. Consequently, the discovery of a post-medieval inhumation of a child buried with at least one bird head placed in the mouth in Tunel Wielki Cave (southern Poland) is an exceptional find. The aim of this paper is to discuss this unique burial based on multiproxy analyses conducted...

Tiwanaku was a civilization that flourished in the Lake Titicaca Basin (present-day Bolivia) between 500 and 1000 CE. At its apogee, Tiwanaku controlled the lake’s southern shores and influenced certain areas of the Southern Andes. There is a considerable amount of archaeological and anthropological data concerning the Tiwanaku culture; however, ou...

Microtus is a widespread and species-rich genus which consists of at least 56 species identified, based on morphological and genetic differentiation. Grey voles (subgenus Microtus) are a complex of at least six closely related and partly cryptic species: M. arvalis, M. obscurus, M. mystacinus, M. transcaspicus, M. kermanensis and M. ilaeus. The ran...

Significance Most of today’s domesticates began as farm animals, but cat domestication took a different path. Cats became commensal of humans somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, attracted to early farmers’ settlements by rodent pests. Cat remains from Poland dated to 4,200 to 2,300 y BCE are currently the earliest evidence for the migration of the N...

Examination of faunal remains from archaeological sites facilitates investigation of the history of human-animal interactions, domestication-related pathways and subsistence strategies. In South America, archaeological remains of dogs are rare and confined mostly to the Andean region. Such remains are often fragmentary and can be difficult to ident...

The harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have been considered the cause of local extinctions and major faunal reorganizations that took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Recent studies have shown, however, that in addition many of these ecological events were associated with abrupt climate changes during the so-...

The harsh climatic conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) period have been considered the cause of local extinctions and major faunal reorganizations that took place at the end of the Pleistocene. Recent studies have shown, however, that in addition many of these ecological events were associated with abrupt climate changes during the so-...

There is a widespread belief that the abrupt warming at 14.7 ka had a profound impact on the environment. However, the direct correlation between the global climatic event and changes in local environments is not obvious. We examined faunal succession in an intra-mountain basin of the Western Carpathians to assess the potential influence of the cli...

During the Late Pleistocene, narrow-headed voles (Lasiopodomys gregalis) inhabited Eurasia’s vast territories, frequently becoming the dominant small mammal species among steppe-tundra communities. We investigated the relationship between this species’ European and Asiatic populations by sequencing the mtDNA genomes of two extant specimens from Rus...

The woolly mammoth ( Mammuthus primigenius ) was widespread in almost all of Europe during the late Pleistocene. However, its distribution changed because of population fluctuations and range expansions and reductions. During Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2), these processes were highly dynamic. Our analyses of 318 radiocarbon dates from 162 l...

Archeological and genetic evidence suggest that all domestic cats derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and were first domesticated in the Near East around 10,000 years ago. The spread of the domesticated form in Europe occurred much later, primarily mediated by Greek and Phoenician traders and afterward by Romans who intr...

Archaeological and genetic evidence suggest that all domestic cats derive from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) and were domesticated twice, first in the Near East around 10 000 years ago and for the second time in Ancient Egypt ca. 3 500 years ago. The spread of the domesticated form in Europe occurred much later, primarily media...

Although cave bear remains have been describing since the end of XVIII century, recent discoveries and methods provide new knowledge about the typical representative of Pleistocene megafauna, which did not survive the Last Glacial Maximum. Genetic studies supplemented by morphometric analyses showed that this mammal differentiated in the Late Pleis...

Climate changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene had profound effects on the distribution of many plant and animal species and influenced the formation of contemporary faunas and floras of Europe. The course and mechanisms of responses of species to past climate changes are now being intensely studied by the use of direct radiocarbon datin...

Climate changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene have profound effects on the distribution of many plant and animal species and influenced the formation of contemporary faunas and floras of Europe. The course and mechanisms of responses of species to the past climate changes are now being intensively studied by the use of direct radiocarbo...

The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus sensu lato) is a typical representative of Pleistocenemegafauna which became extinct at the end of the Last Glacial. Detailed knowledge of cave bear extinction could explain this spectacular ecological transformation. The paper provides a report on the youngest remains of the cave bear dated to 20,930 ± 140 14C years b...

It is believed on the basis of archaeozoological research that the domestic cat appeared in Central Europe during the Roman Period. In Poland, the domestic cat is a common species in medieval deposits. Only a few finds of cat remains of pre-medieval age have been reported from Poland to date, including several specimens from deposits older than the...

Two species of the genus Gryllus occur in Europe: G. campestris and G. bimaculatus. The first is widely distributed in the north-western Palaearctic, while the second, G. bimaculatus, occurs predominantly in the Mediterranean area. There is a visible pattern in the distribution of G. campestris, the insect being rare and threatened in the western p...

Recent palaeogenetic studies indicate a highly dynamic history in collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx spp.), with several demographical changes linked to climatic fluctuations that took place during the last glaciation. At the western range margin of D. torquatus, these changes were characterized by a series of local extinctions and recolonizations. How...

Recent palaeogenetic studies indicate a highly dynamic history in collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx spp.), with several demographical changes linked to climatic fluctuations that took place during the last glaciation. At the western range margin of D. torquatus, these changes were characterized by a series of local extinctions and recolonizations. How...

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of European sturgeon and two subspecies of the North American, Atlantic and Gulf sturgeons were determined using MiSeq Illumina technology. All three genomes show typical vertebrate organization. They possess 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA (ribosomal RNA) genes and a non-coding control region....

We present an optimized multiplex of 14 microsatellite loci that can be amplified in four reactions and loaded as two separate panels on the ABI genetic analyzer. The assay was validated on 342 individuals of field cricket (Gryllus campestris, L., 1758) from natural populations. The chosen loci are polymorphic and allow for efficient population gen...

On the trial of the oldest cat in Poland. An insight from morphometry, ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating

The common practice of resettlement and the development of administrative and ceremonial systems shaped the population landscape of the Andean region under the Inca rule. The area surrounding Coropuna and Solimana volcanoes, in the Arequipa region (Peru), carried a high-density, multiethnic population. We studied the genetic variation among three p...

AimMigrants of the Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus, from North America are thought to have founded the Baltic sturgeon population during the Little Ice Age around 1200 years ago, replacing the European sturgeon, Acipenser sturio. To test this hypothesis and to further elucidate the colonization of the Baltic Sea by A. oxyrinchus, we carried...

The two sister species of Atlantic and European sturgeon are difficult to distinguish solely by morphological traits, espe-cially in their early life stages. A simple PCR-RFLP based test was developed, enabling easy identification of specimens belonging to both species. The application of two restriction enzymes (BtsI and BsrDI) allowed the clear a...

The migration of Ursus ingressus from Southern to Western Europe, where it replaced native forms of Ursus spelaeus, is well documented. However, its occurrence in Central and Eastern European countries is unexplored. We have characterized the cave bear population inhabiting the Sudetes Mountains during the Late Pleistocene. DNA analyses were perfor...

Until 1960s, vimba was found abundantly in Polish rivers and was an important species for the fishing industry. Overfishing, water pollution and dam construc-tions brought most of the vimba populations close to extinction. We analyzed the genetic variability of several remnant vimba populations in the Vistula and Oder river basins. The 305-bp fragm...

The vast majority of fossil remains in Late Pleistocene deposits from Niedźwiedzia Cave in Kletno, Sudetes, Poland, belong to the cave bear. Phylogenetic analyses based on a fragment of the mitochondrial D-loop region extracted from two cave bear samples unambiguously showed their close relationship with the Ursus ingressus hap-logroup. This taxono...

A detailed genetic study of the pre-Columbian population inhabiting the Tompullo 2 archaeological site (department Arequipa, Peru) was undertaken to resolve the kin relationships between individuals buried in six different chullpas. Kin relationships were an important factor shaping the social organization in the pre-Columbian Andean communities, c...

Results of cloning of PCR products.

Details of Y chromosome STR multiplexes design and validation.

Matrix of genetic distances (F ST ) between Tompullo 2 and modern South American populations.

Full list of samples from Tompullo 2 archaeological site.

Matrix of relatedness coefficients (R QG and R LR ) estimated for individuals from Tompullo 2 site.