Professor Cooper's
research has revealed
that climate change may
have devastating effects
on animal populations, if
the past is anything to go
by.

The study of preserved ancient genetic material provides a "grim warning" about the potential impacts of climate change on our animal populations, according to Professor Alan Cooper, one of the world's leaders in ancient DNA research.

"Ancient DNA has revealed that in contrast to much current thinking, the large scale extinctions of megafauna from the Northern Hemisphere (such as mammoth and bison) around 11,000 years ago were largely due to climate change, with direct human impact through hunting and overkill providing only the coup de grâce," Professor Cooper says.

"By extrapolation we can predict that the current climate change trend will have a devastating impact on many animal populations."

Professor Cooper's research involves retrieving preserved genetic material from a variety of sources, from bones and teeth through to preserved seeds and sediments, to examine evolution and environmental change.

Professor Cooper spoke at the University of Adelaide's Research Tuesday Public Seminar Series on 8 April 2008.