School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology

Research

Kathleen Crossen

Qualifications

BSc (Hons): Archaeology-Palaeoecology, QUB
MSc: Archaeology and Environment, QUB

Postgraduate

Email: kcrossen01@qub.ac.uk

Address

School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology (GAP)
Queen’s University Belfast
Belfast, BT7 1NN
Northern Ireland, UK

Telephone

+44 (0)28 9097 3828

Current Research: Environmental Change (EC)

A study of the diversity and evolution of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Britain and Ireland, through ancient DNA research

The presence of Scots Pine on the British Isles during the Holocene is a widely studied topic, due to the decline of the species at c. 5000 BP (and subsequent extinction in Ireland) and it’s debated association with volcanic activity.

The aim of my research is to examine the genetic diversity of Scots Pine through time by extracting pollen grains from Holocene lake and peat sediments in Ireland and Scotland, and sequencing ancient DNA from chloroplast regions within the pollen grain. I also plan to carry out phylogeographical work on extant material from Scotland in order to reconstruct the post-glacial spread of the species.