Multiproxy analysis of permafrost preserved faeces provides an unprecedented insight into the diets and habitats of extinct and extant megafauna

The study of faecal samples to reconstruct the diets and habitats extinct megafauna has traditionally relied on pollen macrofossil analysis. DNA metabarcoding emerged as a valuable tool complement refine these proxies. While published studies have compared results three proxies for sediments, this comparison is currently lacking permafrost preserved mammal faeces. Moreover, most focused single plant-specific marker region. In study, we target both commonly used chloroplast trnL P6 loop well nuclear ribosomal ITS (nrITS). latter can increase taxonomic resolution plant identifications but requires be relatively because length (∼300–500 bp). We compare analyses from ice-preserved faeces Pleistocene Holocene megafauna. Samples include woolly mammoth, horse, steppe bison extant caribou. Most were found using DNA, likely studied contained many vegetative remains that could not identified macrofossils or pollen. Several taxa were, however, lower levels uniquely with nrITS provides species level encountered families are hard distinguish other (e.g. Asteraceae, Cyperaceae Poaceae). Integrating all proxies, able accurately known Applying approach mammals, find horse strict grazers mixed feeders living in marshy wetland environment. mammoths showed highly varying different non-analogous habitats. This confirms presence mosaic ‘mammoth steppe’ fully exploit due their flexibility food choice.