Northern Fennoscandia Research Articles

Environmental Drivers of Palsa and Peat Plateau Occurrences: A Regional Comparison Across the Northern Hemisphere

ABSTRACTPalsas and peat plateaus occur in various environmental conditions, but their driving environmental factors have not been examined across the Northern Hemisphere with harmonized datasets. Such comparisons can deepen our understanding of these landforms and their response to climate change. We conducted a comparative study between four regions: Hudson Bay, Iceland, Northern Fennoscandia, and Western Siberia by integrating landform observations and geospatial data into a MaxEnt model. Climate and hydrological conditions were identified as primary, yet regionally divergent, factors affecting palsa and peat plateau occurrence. Suitable conditions for these landforms entail specific temperature ranges (500–1500 thawing degree days, 500–4000 freezing degree days), around 300 mm of rainfall, and high soil moisture accumulation potential. Iceland's conditions, in particular, differ due to higher precipitation, a narrower temperature range, and the significance of soil organic carbon content. The annual thermal balance is a critical factor in understanding the occurrence of permafrost peatlands and should be considered when comparing different regions. We conclude that palsas and peat plateaus share similar topographic conditions but occupy varying soil conditions and climatic niches across the Northern Hemisphere. These findings have implications for understanding the climatic sensitivity of permafrost peatlands and identifying potential greenhouse gas emitters.

Socioecological dynamics of diverse global permafrost-agroecosystems under environmental change

ABSTRACT Permafrost-agroecosystems include all cultivation and pastoral activities in areas underlain by permafrost. These systems support local livelihoods and food production and are rarely considered in global agricultural studies but may become more relevant as climate change is increasing opportunities for food production in high latitude and mountainous areas. The exact locations and amount of agricultural production in areas containing permafrost are currently unknown, therefore we provide an overview of countries where both permafrost and agricultural activities are present. We highlight the socioecological diversity and complexities of permafrost-agroecosystems through seven case studies: (1) crop cultivation in Alaska, USA; (2) Indigenous food systems and crop cultivation in the Northwest Territories, Canada; (3) horse and cattle husbandry and Indigenous hay production in the Sakha Republic, Russia; (4) mobile pastoralism and husbandry in Mongolia; (5) yak pastoralism in the Central Himalaya, Nepal; (6) berry picking and reindeer herding in northern Fennoscandia; and (7) reindeer herding in northwest Russia. We discuss regional knowledge gaps associated with permafrost and make recommendations to policy makers and land users for adapting to changing permafrost environments. A better understanding of permafrost-agroecosystems is needed to help sustainably manage and develop these systems considering rapidly changing climate, environments, economies, and industries.

Measuring ecological quality status in low-diversity Arctic intertidal foraminiferal assemblages using a diversity-based index

EcoQS assessment of the marine intertidal zone based on its fauna is challenging because the assemblages have a low diversity and consist of stress tolerant species. The new approach we propose is to pool foraminiferal diversity (effective number of species exp(H'bc)) across the whole intertidal zone including the salt marsh and tidal flat. In seven fjordheads studied in northern Fennoscandia, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations indicated low levels of pollution (EcoQSPAH Excellent to Moderate). Jadammina or Balticammina dominated the salt marsh, Elphidium albiumbilicatum, Elphidium williamsoni, Elphidium clavatum, and Buccella frigida occurred in the tidal flat. Ovammina opaca thrived in both belts. While foraminiferal test abnormalities are often proposed to measure pollution impacts, we did not detect any correlation with PAHs. EcoQS based on foraminiferal diversity (EcoQSforam Excellent to Good) matched EcoQS based on PAHs suggesting that pooled foraminiferal diversity reliably measures intertidal EcoQS.

Perceptions on and impacts of environmental changes under multiple stressors: a case study from two communities in northern Fennoscandia

Against the backcloth of particularly fast environmental change in the Arctic, this study juxtaposes local perceptions of environmental change in two communities in the boreal zone of Northern Europe with scientific data. The local knowledge was gathered through an online participatory mapping survey among the two communities and scientific evidence was gathered from various peer-reviewed and official monitoring sources. Local knowledge of environmental change in Savukoski (Finland) resembles that in Jokkmokk (Sweden). Most perceived changes are in line with scientific studies, public discourse, and local concerns in the Arctic. What differs, however, is the degree of correspondence between local and scientific knowledge on certain phenomena: some dynamics are well documented in both local and scientific observations whereas other dynamics require more nuanced scientific research, particularly considering their relevance for local livelihoods. Among these are: berry yields, the abundance of mosquitoes and other Nematocera, peatland thaw and frost, and changes in river and lake ice conditions. It is noteworthy that in both Savukoski and Jokkmokk, for many people the most impactful changes are caused by resource extraction rather than climate change. Local concerns and perceptions of environmental change are not all shared nor easily translate into adaptation strategies, but nonetheless they have clear policy implications.

First report on pollutant accumulation and associated microbial communities in the freshwater sponge Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1759) from the sub-Arctic Pasvik River (Norway).

This explorative study was aimed at first characterizing the sponge Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1759) from the sub-Arctic Pasvik River (Northern Fennoscandia), in terms of associated microbial communities and pollutant accumulation. Persistent organic pollutants were determined in sponge mesohyl tissues, along with the estimation of the microbial enzymatic activity rates, prokaryotic abundance and morphometric traits, and the analysis of the taxonomic bacterial diversity by next-generation sequencing techniques. The main bacterial groups associated with S. lacustris were Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, followed by Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria. The structure of the S. lacustris-associated bacterial communities was in sharp contrast to those of the bacterioplankton, being statistically close to those found in sediments. Dieldrin was measured at higher concentrations in the sponge tissues (3.1 ± 0.4ng/g) compared to sediment of the same site (0.04 ± 0.03 ng/g). Some taxonomic groups were possibly related to the occurrence of certain contaminants, as was the case of Patescibacteria and dieldrin. Obtained results substantially contribute to the still scarce knowledge of bacterial community diversity, activities, and ecology in freshwater sponges. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Microbial community associated with Spongilla lacustris is probably shaped by the occurrence of certain contaminants, mainly dieldrin and heavy metals. A higher accumulation of dieldrin in the sponge mesohyl tissues than in sediment was determined. S. lacustris is suggested as sponge species to be used as a sentinel of pesticide pollution in the Pasvik River. S. lacustris, living in tight contact with soft substrates, harbored communities more similar to sediment than water communities.

Changing species dominance patterns of Boreal‐Arctic heathlands: evidence of biotic homogenization

Heathlands are extensive systems often dominated by slow‐growing and long‐lived woody plants. These systems require longer‐term studies to capture if and how they are changing over time. In 2020, we resurveyed species richness and cover of vascular plant communities in 139 heathlands along the coastline of northern Fennoscandia, first surveyed during 1965–1975. The first survey included six heathland types, each with dominance – a cover of 25% or more – of the dwarf shrubs Calluna vulgaris, Kalmia procumbens, Betula nana, Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum nigrum. The two latter heathland types made up 29% and 48%, respectively, of all heathlands. In addition to the dominant dwarf shrubs giving their names to the heathland types, a few other species qualified as dominant. In the resurvey, all the heathland types had E. nigrum as the single dominant species, except for the heathland formerly dominated by B. nana. Most other species had low cover both at the time of the original survey and the resurvey. Also, the heathland types were species poor at the time of the original survey, with an average of eight vascular plant species per 4 m2 and were found equally species poor in the resurvey. Species richness differed between heathland types only at the time of the original survey, and the ratio of species exchange between the two surveys was negatively related to the original cover of E. nigrum.Here we provide a half‐century perspective on vegetation change, during which several heathland types in northern Fennoscandia have changed to Empetrum heathlands, reducing the diversity of heathland types across the Boreal to Arctic landscape. As a native plant, E. nigrum cannot be considered invasive, but its allelopathic capacity has likely already modified these heathland ecosystems and will continue to do so, reducing ecosystem multifunctionality across the region.

Missing Links: New Data on the Mesolithic Blade Industry of Inland Northern Fennoscandia

Missing Links: New Data on the Mesolithic Blade Industry of Inland Northern Fennoscandia

Quartzite complexities: Non-destructive analysis of bifacial points from Västerbotten, Sweden

Northern Fennoscandia is a geologically complex region affected by both glacial and postglacial processes. Quartzite was a key material type utilized by hunter-gatherers in Northern Sweden around the period 4 000 – 2 000 BP, and is thus critical to the understanding of raw material procurement and material flow within the region. However, there is a severe lack of methodological development in the characterization of these materials, and provenance of locally available geological material is complex and fraught with uncertainty. 126 quartz/quartzite points and preforms were sampled from 47 archaeological sites along the upper Ångerman river valley in Västerbotten, Sweden. The material has been analysed non-destructively using three separate portable spectroscopic instrumentations (Near-infrared, Raman, X-Ray Fluorescence). Evaluation of the spectra and exploratory data analysis using Principal Component Analysis demonstrates detectable differences in the material that likely stem from diagenetic/paragenetic origin. The presence of graphite, muscovite and biotite could likewise provide information on the material’s metamorphic grade. In addition to reaffirming the potential of field-based screening instrumentation, these results will benefit future surveys of geological sources in the region. They also indicate potential for the construction of a predictive model that could classify the quartzite based on its chemical characteristic. Such a model would prove useful in future spatial analysis and testing of models of raw material management.

The effect of habitat on benthic diatoms in subarctic ponds – differences between rock and sediment

Subarctic ecosystems represent a vulnerable environment for their biota and studying their habitats provides a better understanding of ongoing and accelerated environmental change. Literature suggests that habitat and environmental variables such as water chemistry jointly influence benthic algal species richness and assemblage composition. However, the combined effects of habitat and water chemistry on benthic algal communities are poorly understood especially in subarctic freshwaters. This study compared benthic diatom assemblages on rocks and on sediment and examined if environmental variables affect diatoms similarly in these habitats. A total of 20 subarctic ponds were sampled for diatoms on sediment and rock in summer 2022 in northern Fennoscandia. Differences in species richness and Pielou evenness between habitats were analysed by a paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The most significant environmental variables influencing diatom species richness were determined by generalized linear models. Differences in diatom assemblage compositions were analysed using non-metric multidimensional scaling, analysis of similarities, and Jaccard similarity index. Finally, to study how environmental variables shape diatom compositions on rock and sediment, a redundancy analysis was performed. According to our results species richness and evenness were significantly higher on sediment than on rock, and water pH was the major determinant for diatom richness in both habitats. Diatom assemblage composition did not differ between rocks and sediment, and composition was shaped by the same environmental variables such as pond surface area and water pH in both habitats. Our results support the prevailing conception that sediment habitat contains higher diatom species richness than rocks, while assemblage composition does not differ between these habitats. This study highlights the role of water pH on benthic diatoms regardless of their habitat. Given that global warming is expected to affect water pH levels, such a change will probably have a notable influence also on subarctic diatom communities in the future decades.

Conceptual model for the formation of bedforms along subglacial meltwater corridors (SMCs) by variable ice‐water‐bed interactions

AbstractSubglacial meltwater landforms found on palaeo‐ice sheet beds allow the properties of meltwater drainage to be reconstructed, informing our understanding of modern‐day subglacial hydrological processes. In northern Canada and Fennoscandia, subglacial meltwater landforms are largely organized into continental‐scale networks of subglacial meltwater corridors (SMCs), interpreted as the relics of subglacial drainage systems undergoing variations in meltwater input, effective pressure and drainage efficiency. We review the current state of knowledge of bedforms (hummocks, ridges, murtoos, ribbed bedforms) and associated landforms (channels, eskers) described along SMCs and use selected high‐resolution DEMs in Canada and Fennoscandia to complete the bedform catalogue and categorize their characteristics, patterning and spatial distributions. We synthesize the diversity of bedform and formation processes occurring along subglacial drainage routes in a conceptual model invoking spatiotemporal changes in hydraulic connectivity, basal meltwater pressure and ice‐bed coupling, which influences the evolution of subglacial processes (bed deformation, erosion, deposition) along subglacial drainage systems. When the hydraulic capacity of the subglacial drainage system is overwhelmed glaciofluvial erosion and deposition will dominate in the SMC, resulting in tracts of hummocks and ridges arising from both fragmentation of underlying pre‐existing bedforms and downstream deposition of sediments in basal cavities and crevasses. Re‐coupling of ice with the bed, when meltwater supply decreases, facilitates deformation, transforming existing and producing new bedforms concomitant with the wider subglacial bedform imprint. We finally establish a range of future research perspectives to improve understanding of subglacial hydrology, geomorphic processes and bedform diversity along SMCs. These perspectives include the new acquisition of remote‐sensing and field‐based sedimentological and geomorphological data, a better connection between the interpreted subglacial drainage configurations down corridors and the mathematical treatments studying their stability, and the quantification of the scaling, distribution and evolution of the hydraulically connected drainage system beneath present‐day ice masses to test our bedform‐related conceptual model.

Permafrost development in northern Fennoscandian peatlands since the mid-Holocene

ABSTRACT Increased permafrost temperatures have been reported in the circum-Arctic, and widespread degradation of permafrost peatlands has occurred in recent decades. The timing of permafrost aggradation in these ecosystems could have implications for the soil carbon lability upon thawing, and an increased understanding of the permafrost history is therefore needed to better project future carbon feedbacks. In this study, we have conducted high-resolution plant macrofossil and geochemical analyses and accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating of active layer cores from four permafrost peatlands in northern Sweden and Norway. In the mid-Holocene, all four sites were wet fens, and at least three of them remained permafrost-free until a shift in vegetation toward bog species was recorded around 800 to 400 cal. BP, suggesting permafrost aggradation during the Little Ice Age. At one site, Karlebotn, the plant macrofossil record also indicated a period of dry bog conditions between 3300 and 2900 cal. BP, followed by a rapid shift toward species growing in waterlogged fens or open pools, suggesting that permafrost possibly was present around 3000 cal. BP but thawed and was replaced by thermokarst.

Cobalt Prospectivity Using a Conceptual Fuzzy Logic Overlay Method Enhanced with the Mineral Systems Approach

AbstractThis paper describes mineral prospectivity research conducted in Finland to predict favorable areas for cobalt exploration using the “fuzzy logic overlay” method in a GIS platform and public geodata of the Geological Survey of Finland. Cobalt occurs infrequently as a core product in mineral deposits. Therefore, we decided to construct separate conceptual mineral prospectivity models within the Northern Fennoscandian Shield, Finland, for four deposit types: (1) “Orthomagmatic Ni–Cu–Co sulfide deposits,” (2) “Outokumpu-type mantle peridotite-associated volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS)-style Cu–Co–Zn–Ni–Ag–Au deposits,” (3) “Talvivaara black shale-hosted Ni–Zn–Cu–Co-type deposits” and (4) “Kuusamo-type (orogenic gold with atypical metal association) Au–Co–Cu–U–LREE deposits”. In addition, we created a model combining till geochemical data with data derived from bedrock drilling and mineral indications, including boulders and outcrops. The mineral prospectivity models were statistically tested with the “receiver operating characteristics” method using exploration drilling data from known mineral deposits as validation sites. In addition, the predictive performance of the models was evaluated by using success rate curves, where the number of previously identified deposits was compared with the area coverage of the predicted highly favorable areas. These results indicate that the knowledge-driven mineral prospectivity method using parameters derived from mineral systems models is effective in defining favorable exploration target areas at the regional scale. This study's innovation lies in its comprehension of the process of evaluating mineral prospectivity when the commodity of interest is not the primary commodity within the mineral system.

Frost rings as time markers in Northern Hemisphere tree-ring chronologies, with special reference to the 1627 BC and AD 536 events

This paper discusses the findings of frost rings in three supra-long Northern Hemisphere tree-ring chronologies. Comparison between recently published data representing bristlecone pine from western North America, Scots pine from northern Fennoscandia and Siberian larch and Siberian spruce from the Yamal Peninsula shows the rare occurrence of frost rings dated to exactly same calendar years in more than one of these chronologies. The frost ring dates evident in all three datasets are dated to 1627 BC and AD 536. Previously, tree-ring features indicative of adverse growing conditions around 1627 BC have been discussed in the literature. Here, it is emphasised that the frost rings 1627 BC and AD 536 are dated to exactly same calendar year in all available tree-ring records, which demonstrates the value of such an event as a definitive time marker. Other major events of frost rings from multiple sites were dated to 421 BC, 251 BC, AD 627, AD 884, AD 985, AD 1109, AD 1259, AD 1453, AD 1601 and AD 1884. Similar to 1627 BC and AD 536, some of these events have been attributed to volcanic forcing and climate anomalies that led to human consequences and disasters. The case of the 1650 s BC appears different, with possibility of more than one major eruptions, as suggested by frost ring events dated to 1656 BC and 1653 BC in Yamal and western USA, respectively.

Tectonic evolution of a Paleoproterozoic diffuse cryptic suture zone in northern Fennoscandia and the correlation of northern Fennoscandia and southern Greenland

The boundary between the Karelia and Norrbotten continental blocks in Fennoscandia is a diffuse cryptic suture zone recording c. 200 Ma of tectono-metamorphic evolution between 1.92 and 1.72 Ga. Syn-collisional deposition at 1.92–1.91 Ga was followed by post-collisional deposition at 1.88–1.87 and 1.85–1.84 Ga. The post-collision structural overprint in the suture starts with sinistral movements due to aulacogen inversion (D2) east of the suture. Late-D2 and D orocline extensional stages are followed by NE-vergent basin inversion (D3) of <1.88 Ga rocks and transpressional dextral shear in the suture zone. Nearly orthogonal D4 and D5 deformation events overprint earlier fabrics at c. 1.83 and c. 1.78 Ga, respectively. The youngest (D6, c. 1.73 Ga) structures include sinistral brittle–ductile movements. Northern Fennoscandia and southern Greenland are linked by coeval continent–continent collisions (D1, 1.92–1.89 Ga). The D orocline stage ( c. 1.87 Ga), responsible for oroclinal buckling in central Fennoscandia, is conceivably related to west-directed subduction and subsequent regional shortening in western Greenland. The D3–D4 events in Fennoscandia are comparable to, and the D5–D6 events correlate well with, tectonic events in the suture zone in the eastern Nagssugtoqidian orogen in Greenland. Supplementary material: Analytical methods, data, interpretations of U–Pb data, and structural data on detailed study areas and key locations are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6675191

Environmental DNA of aquatic macrophytes: The potential for reconstructing past and present vegetation and environments

Abstract Environmental DNA is increasingly being used to reconstruct past and present biodiversity including from freshwater ecosystems. Macrophytes are especially good environmental indicators, thus their environmental DNA palaeorecord might shed light on past postglacial environments. Here, we first review and compare studies that use metagenomics, targeted capture, and various barcoding and metabarcoding markers, in order to explore how each of these methods can be used to capture aquatic vegetation diversity and change. We then investigate the extent to which such a record can be leveraged for reconstructing local environmental conditions, using a case study based on macrophyte ecological niches. We find that, with state‐of‐the‐art DNA barcode reference libraries, using metabarcoding to target the P6 loop region of the chloroplast trnL (UAA) intron is optimal to maximise taxonomic resolution and the diversity of past macrophyte communities. Shotgun sequencing also retrieves a high proportion of aquatic macrophyte diversity, but has the lowest taxonomic resolution, and targeted capture needs to be more widely applied before comparisons can be made. From our case study, we infer past aquatic habitats from sedimentary ancient DNA records of macrophyte taxa. We reconstructed Holocene thermal range, continentality, water pH, trophic status, and light conditions in northern Fennoscandia. We show an overall stability since 9,000 years ago, even though individual lakes display different trends and variation in local climatic and physico‐chemical conditions. Combined with the availability of near‐exhaustive barcode and traits databases, metabarcoding data can support wider ecological reconstructions that are not limited to aquatic plant taxonomic inventories but can also be used to infer past changes in water conditions and their environmental drivers. Sedimentary DNA is also a powerful tool to measure present diversity, as well as to reconstruct past lacustrine and fluvial communities of aquatic macrophytes.

Stakeholder Perceptions of Landscape Justice in the Case of Atlantic Salmon Fishing in Northern Finland

Atlantic salmon fishing in northern Fennoscandia is part of controversial ecological, sociocultural, legal, and political questions. This paper presents a study of landscape justice as perceived by stakeholders who practice, manage, and govern traditional, household, and recreational salmon fishing on northern Finland’s border rivers, Tornio (Torne) and Teno (Tana). The concept of landscape justice is analysed through the lens of distributive, substantive, procedural, and recognition forms of justice. The data are based on semi-structured stakeholder interviews (N = 15). A qualitative content analysis of the data based on the forms of justice reveals that salmon are associated with diverse environmental, economic, and sociocultural values of the landscape. The study results show the current state governance mode of salmon fishing causes landscape injustice manifesting, in particular, as an unequal distribution of risks and benefits regarding fishing governance and its challenges. There is unclear legislation for Tornio. Landscape justice is violated by regulations causing unclear case law for Teno on the ownership of land or water and related fishing restrictions, as well as a lack of possibilities for local tourist entrepreneurs and household fishermen to participate in decision making. Governmental decisions are mainly based on the overall ecological status of salmon populations at the expense of local variations or the recognition and systemic evaluation of sociocultural and local economic values of the landscape. The results indicate a need for national and cross-border policy decisions to include sociocultural and economic aspects of Atlantic salmon fishing to guide movement towards more just environmental governance.

Hydropower histories and narrative injustice: state-owned energy companies’ narratives of hydropower expansion in Sápmi

For over one hundred years, hydropower expansion has taken place in Sápmi, the land of the Indigenous Sámi people in Northern Fenno-Scandia and the Kola Peninsula. In modern energy company narratives, certain parts of history remain unmentioned. Among these are the narratives belonging to Sámi people who were negatively impacted by hydropower expansion. Thus, the aim of this article is to analyse three state-owned energy companies’ narratives about their hydropower expansion in Sápmi and compare them with challenging voices or counter-narratives. The sources used are the companies’ websites and the official documents and material found there, as well as other documentary sources, literature, and research spanning a time period of 1910 to 2021. The overall questions are: To what extent and in what ways are Sámi experiences regarding hydropower expansion part of the companies’ narratives. This study uses counter-narrative and narrative justice as conceptual framework and shows that the full impact that hydropower expansion has had on Sámi people’s situations is insufficiently communicated in the companies’ narratives. Instead, the companies mainly construct their narratives as hydropower expansion in Sápmi being a phenomenon located in history without connection to ongoing consequences on Sámi lands and lives.

New evidence for the Baltican cratonic affinity and Tonian to Ediacaran tectonic evolution of West Avalonia in the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada

Provenance studies of quartzite clasts and enclosing sandstone units in the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada, were conducted to test the Baltican or Gondwanan cratonic affinities of West Avalonia and examine the stratigraphic archives of Neoproterozoic arc evolution. Four cobble-sized quartzite clasts from a syn-orogenic, Ediacaran fluvial unit mostly yield ca. 1220, 1510, and 1900–2200 Ma detrital zircon age maxima and were probably derived from sub-arc basement units. Detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope statistical assessments of the clasts indicate provenance ties with Proterozoic strata of the Sarmatian craton and Timanian passive margin of northern Fennoscandia, which corroborates models for proto-Avalonia to have originated near southern or northeastern Baltica, respectively. Analogous quartzite basement units in Nova Scotia and New England also have Baltican cratonic affinities and reflect provenance from southern Fennoscandia. Ediacaran exhumation of arc and basement infrastructure was accommodated by transpressive faults during the Avalonian orogeny and resulted in the deposition of Signal Hill Group terrestrial strata. Eleven Signal Hill Group sandstone samples are correspondingly dominated by Tonian to Ediacaran detrital zircon age fractions that constrain the crustal evolution of West Avalonia. The composite dataset includes 818–777 Ma detrital zircon grains that record the rifting of a proto-Avalonia sliver or ribbon arc from Baltica. Tonian igneous rocks are rare in West Avalonia, but ca. 760 Ma and 730 Ma detrital zircon grains indicate both crust and mantle contributions to the oceanic Burin arc, its tectonic interactions with proto-Avalonia, and subsequent arc magmatism across the composite terrane. Cryogenian detrital zircon ages substantiate the timing of 700–670 Ma magmatism and 670–640 Ma tectonic interactions with Baltica or another block. The detrital zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope record of the 640–600 Ma magmatic phase includes 6–9 Myr-long, fluctuating cycles that indicate the frequency of West Avalonian arc processes in the Mirovoi Ocean prior to Avalonian orogenesis.

Investigating the domestication and early management of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in the Sámi archaeological context from teeth geometric morphometrics

For centuries, reindeer herding has been an integral part of the subsistence, lifeways, economy and cosmology of the Sámi of northern Fennoscandia. Despite its importance, the timing and details of early reindeer domestication are still highly debated. Identifying domesticated individuals in the archaeological record remains complicated due to the presence of two interbreeding subspecies in Fennoscandia and a mixed socio-economic organisation by Sámi populations, which was mainly a combination of wild reindeer hunting and small-scale reindeer herding. This study proposes methodological improvement for identifying domestic individuals using 2D landmark and sliding semi-landmark based geometric morphometrics on the isolated lower molars of 389 modern specimens, and 90 teeth from four archaeological sites in Finnish Lapland. Our results indicate that despite the significant impact of wear on overall tooth morphology, our protocol is very useful for identifying subspecies (classification accuracy of the two species is between 78 and 91% depending on the wear class) and understanding the morphological changes induced by the domestication process. We suggest that the morphological variation observable among modern populations has been impacted by recent changes in herding strategies in northern Fennoscandia, and that the archaeological domesticated reindeer populations were relatively different, probably due to selection by the Sámi. This study also highlights the importance of using other direct evidence or contextual archaeological data to better trace the early evidence of a domesticated reindeer economy in northern Fennoscandia, and aid in reconstructing the socio-economic changes in Sámi populations over time.

Ten Perspectives of the Gáppte: Materializing Different Ways of Being Sámi

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among the Lulesámi, a subgroup of the indigenous Sámi of northern Fennoscandia, this article explores the relationship between indigenous identity and dress. The gáppte, traditional dress, is a central visual marker of the Sámi, yet on a personal and everyday basis this symbolism enters into dialogue, and sometimes conflict, with people’s life experiences, emotions, interests and expectations. Understandings and experiences of the gáppte are placed within a context in which the Sámi community at times is experienced as fragmented and where a history of colonialism and discrimination has left lasting imprints. As shown in the article, narrations of dress unfold how relationships that for long have been marked by oppression and discrimination raise specific forms of awareness as well as questions around what constitutes the self, and how such self can or should be expressed. Through ten different perspectives of the gáppte, the article reveals how different ways of being Sámi become negotiated and materialized through dress.