Ancient DNA sheds light on the historical distribution of the rare and ephemeral plant Coleanthus subtilis in Southern Siberia

The herbaceous plant C. subtilis, whose DNA fragments were obtained through the metagenomic profiling of the human-like mannequin's stuffing at the Oglakhty cemetery, provides new insights into the cultural and natural history of Siberia. Firstly, we identified several grass taxa in the mannequin's stuffing. Most of them are characteristic for the steppe zone; the only exception is C. subtilis, which usually inhabits riverbanks. Therefore, we assume that, despite being primarily stuffed with the steppe plants, the Oglakhty mannequin was crafted on a riverbank, where C. subtilis might have got inside likely by chance. It is important to note that the stuffing process apparently took place after the vegetation season of C. subtilis in second half of summer and the beginning of autumn. Secondly, our research suggests that a population of C. subtilis, which is currently absent from the documented flora of southern Siberia, previously grew in the Minusinsk Basin wetlands. Our study highlights the need for field expeditions aimed to identify endemic populations of C. subtilis in the Yenisei River valley.