Snorre Hagen
Head of Department/Head of Research
Abstract
Accurate species identification is essential for conserving and managing plants that provide important ecosystem services and have ethnobotanical value. The Greyia tree genus ( G. sutherlandii , G. radlkoferi and G. flanaganii ) is endemic to South Africa and Eswatini, and certain genotypes have medicinal value for treating skin hyper‐pigmentation. However, distinguishing among species is difficult because of overlapping phenotypes and the limited resolution of standard DNA barcodes. To overcome these limitations, a robust molecular identification assay was developed using a two‐phase strategy. First, de novo SNP discovery using 3RAD sequencing identified 47,726 genome‐wide SNPs from two to three plants sampled from each species' core geographic range: G. radlkoferi in northern Limpopo, G. sutherlandii in eastern KwaZulu‐Natal, and G. flanaganii in the south‐eastern Eastern Cape. Principal component analysis and coancestry matrices revealed three discrete genetic clusters, supporting the recognition of the three species. Selecting a set of 200 SNPs with intermediate Fst values (0.2–0.5) resulted in optimal separation of the three clusters. This led to the final selection of a 23‐SNP panel that included five informative barcoding loci (ITS, trnL‐F , matK ). Second, the 23 SNPs were converted into allele‐specific fluorescent PCR assays (SNP Type) for genotyping on the BioMark HD platform. The panel was validated using genomic DNA from 17 individuals from the 3RAD population groups and successfully differentiated all three species. It was then applied to 73 trees sampled across a 1000‐km transect from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo. Genetic clustering (PCA, UPGMA and ADMIXTURE) assigned each tree to one of three species‐level groups matching their expected ranges. In a practical case study, the assay also identified the species origin of 33 Greyia trees of unknown provenance from production orchards. This study provides an efficient SNP‐based tool for accurate species identification, supporting conservation planning and the sustainable management of Greyia populations.
Authors
Ida Marie Luna Fløystad David Kniha Ane-Sofie Bednarczyk Pettersen Paul Eric Aspholm Snorre Hagen Hans Geir Eiken Per John Aslaksen Anti Jan Helmer Olsen Mahtte Ailu Utsi Gaup Ann Maret Eira Johan Ante Andersen EiraAbstract
Systematisk overvåking av brunbjørn (Ursus arctos) ved bruk av hårfeller og DNA-analyser gir viktig kunnskap om bestandens størrelse, kjønnsfordeling, utbredelse og områdebruk. I perioden juni til august 2026 ble det gjennomført to hårfelleprosjekter i Karasjok kommune. Totalt 49 hårfeller ble satt ut i to studieområder på til sammen 1 225 km²: 16 hårfeller i Karasjok sør (400 km²) og 33 hårfeller i Karasjok nord (825 km²). Totalt ble det samlet inn 153 hårprøver. DNA-analysene identifiserte 16 brunbjørner, fordelt på 11 hanner og 5 hunner. Ingen individer ble påvist i begge studieområdene samme år. I Karasjok sør ble det registrert 9 bjørner (6 hanner og 3 hunner), mens det i Karasjok nord ble registrert 7 bjørner (5 hanner og 2 hunner). Til sammen ble fem tidligere ukjente hannbjørner identifisert. Det ble i tillegg benyttet 37 viltkameraer ved utvalgte hårfeller. Kameraene dokumenterte bjørneaktivitet og gjorde det mulig å knytte flere DNA-identifiserte bjørner til konkrete foto- og videoopptak. Kombinasjonen av genetiske analyser og viltkameradata ga tilleggsinformasjon om utseende, aldersgruppe og atferd hos enkelte individer. Resultatene bidrar til den langsiktige overvåkingen av brunbjørn i Karasjok og gir økt kunnskap om bestandens sammensetning og områdebruk.
Authors
Michael Dondrup Atle Ove Martinussen Lisa Karine Haugland Jonas Brandenburg Oya Inanli Abdelhameed Elameen David William Peter Dolan Sushma Nagaraja Grellscheid Snorre Hagen Hannes Schroeder Tor Myking Hans Geir EikenAbstract
The use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment alcoholic beverages is an ancient tradition, with genetic evidence indicating origins in Neolithic Asia, although the domestication process of the species is not fully understood. Kveik is a group of traditional yeasts used in farmhouse brewing in western Norway preserved through generations of rural brewing practice. While recent studies have highlighted the distinctiveness of kveik, its precise phylogenetic position, genetic diversity, and domestication history remain unclear. We performed whole-genome sequencing on 64 isolates from 25 traditional brewing cultures from Western Norway selected using cultural heritage criteria and generated telomere-to-telomere assemblies for selected strains. Phylogenomic and population genetic analyses reveal that kveik strains form a paraphyletic and early-diverging group with respect to other domesticated S. cerevisiae strains. Most strains exhibit low diversity among isolates from the same brewing culture, strong geographic clustering, and little evidence of gene flow or admixture. Mitochondrial genomes and Ty1 retrotransposon profiles corroborate this distinct lineage history. We further show that previously reported signals of gene flow between kveik and Asian fermentation strains are likely artifacts caused by population structure and selection. Divergence time estimates suggest that the common ancestor of beer, kveik, and other liquid-phase fermenting strains originated from ancestral populations 4,000 to 8,000 years ago. Our genomic resource sheds light on yeast evolution and domestication. Kveik likely comprises some of the oldest domesticated lineages in continuous use until today, connecting intangible cultural heritage to an early genetic origin.
