��è��Ƶ

In a recent feature on the scientific portal TASS Nauka, Yuri Chendev, Doctor of Geographical Sciences and Professor at the Department of Nature Management and Land Cadastre of Belgorod National Research University (BelSU), introduced a groundbreaking method for analyzing climate changes throughout Earth's history. His research highlights the unique role of mole rat burrows in understanding past vegetation dynamics through spore-pollen analysis, particularly in regions where traditional methods fall short.

Professor Chendev explained that the pollen grains found in ancient mole rat burrows serve as invaluable records of climatic phenomena spanning hundreds or even thousands of years. This innovative approach promises to enhance paleoclimatic research across various global regions inhabited by these burrowing mammals.

“Mole rat burrows act as excellent repositories for pollen,” noted Professor Chendev. “The decomposition processes of organic matter within these burrows occur at a significantly slower rate compared to the surrounding soil. This preservation allows us to reconstruct vegetation and climate dynamics in environments where other methods might fail.”

While scientists often rely on pollen deposits preserved in lake and swamp sediments to infer Earth’s climatic conditions from different eras, this approach has its limitations. The size and structure of pollen grains can reveal much about past environments, but such lake sediments are scarce in the steppes and forest-steppes of Russia and parts of Eurasia.

Recognizing this gap, Chendev and his team proposed that the ancient burrows of underground-dwelling mammals, commonly found in these regions, could provide an alternative source of data.

Guided by this hypothesis, the researchers conducted excavations in parts of the Belgorod region where the soil had remained undisturbed for at least 200-300 years. During their exploration, they discovered several mole rat burrows filled with darker soil compared to the surrounding material. From these burrows, the team collected 21 samples and successfully isolated pollen grains.