Paper short abstract:

We live in an era characterised by major environmental changes. The use of state-of-the-art paleogenomic methods can help us to better understand the effects of this changes on ecosystems and species, and thereby support the development of efficient conservation and habitat restoration actions.

Paper long abstract:

We live in an era characterised by major environmental changes. Safeguarding biodiversity and mitigating climate change effects are key challenges of today’s society and research communities. Over the last two decades new advances in molecular and sequencing technologies have enabled us to obtain DNA from samples, such as bone, teeth, soil or plant material, that have died and been stored in the soil or ice for tens- to hundreds of thousands of years. This not only allows us to decode genomes of long extinct species, but it also enables us to study species extinction and the effects of past environmental changes in “real time”. Here, I will outline how we use paleogenomic techniques to better understand demographic responses in key species, understand the genomic effects of species decline and extinction and support the development of efficient conservation actions. However, while allowing for new scientific discoveries, fast advancements in technologies are also increasing the gap between science, society and policy, which has been identified as one of the major obstacles to conservation and nature restauration. This calls for increased collaborations between all stakeholders and outreach activities to help others to make informed decisions about our Planet’s future.