This project will 1) provide a latitudinal and longitudinal inventory of Beringian mammals and associated parasites; 2) develop a database to assess inter-hemispheric diversity; 3) provide material to address the conservation and evolution of mammals and their associated parasites (e.g., material for epidemiologists), and 4) build a spatial and temporal foundation for biotic investigations in the Arctic. This information will stimulate interpretation of past (and prediction of future) impacts of climate change on this component of biotic diversity. Informed decisions regarding human impact and the effect of climate change at high latitudes on these species require a detailed understanding of the Beringian fauna. Molecular genetic and morphologic analyses will complement this biotic inventory and provide a powerful means to investigate the sequence, age, and location of major climatic events. Preliminary analyses already have helped to identify the western and eastern borders of Beringia as areas that should be most productive in this inventory of high latitude diversity.
Broader impacts include the continued development of productive international collaborations with Russians, Finns, and Canadians. Russian scientists have seen their institutions disintegrate due to marginal economic conditions. This project will substantially impact education and training with US students gaining scientific and cultural experience in these international collaborations. Museum collections are fundamentally educational resources where some of our most innovative thinkers received their first introduction to the sciences. Accessible museum collections are among the finest resources available to environmental scientists and educators that are tackling tough questions facing society.
