Post-doctoral project: Reconstructing diets of prehistoric kiore in New Zealand using ancient DNA

Post-doctoral fellow 2017-2020

Supervisors: Janet Wilmshurst, Jamie Wood

Project: Jessica was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Long-Term Ecology lab analyzing the contents of coprolites deposited by the introduced kiore (Rattus exulans) as part of a Marsden Funded project. Jessica extracted ancient DNA from the tiny preserved droppings deposited over several centuries following their initial arrival with the aim of reconstructing their diets as well as their interactions and possible impacts to the prehistoric ecosystems of New Zealand.

Preserved kiore coprolites