Ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals complexity of indigenous North American turkey domestication

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals complexity of indigenous North American turkey domestication

AU - Speller, Camilla F.

AU - Kemp, Brian M.

AU - Wyatt, Scott D.

AU - Monroe, Cara

AU - Lipe, William D.

AU - Arndt, Ursula M.

AU - Yang, Dongya Y.

PY - 2010/2/16

Y1 - 2010/2/16

N2 - Although the cultural and nutritive importance of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) to precontact Native Americans and contemporary people worldwide is clear, little is known about the domestication of this bird compared to other domesticates. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of 149 turkey bones and 29 coprolites from 38 archaeological sites (200 BC-AD 1800) reveals a unique domesticated breed in the precontact Southwestern United States. Phylogeographic analyses indicate that this domestic breed originated from outside the region, but rules out the South Mexican domestic turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) as a progenitor. A strong genetic bottleneck within the Southwest turkeys also reflects intensive human selection and breeding. This study points to at least two occurrences of turkey domestication in precontact North America and illuminates the intensity and sophistication of New World animal breeding practices.

AB - Although the cultural and nutritive importance of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) to precontact Native Americans and contemporary people worldwide is clear, little is known about the domestication of this bird compared to other domesticates. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of 149 turkey bones and 29 coprolites from 38 archaeological sites (200 BC-AD 1800) reveals a unique domesticated breed in the precontact Southwestern United States. Phylogeographic analyses indicate that this domestic breed originated from outside the region, but rules out the South Mexican domestic turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) as a progenitor. A strong genetic bottleneck within the Southwest turkeys also reflects intensive human selection and breeding. This study points to at least two occurrences of turkey domestication in precontact North America and illuminates the intensity and sophistication of New World animal breeding practices.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77649246146&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0909724107

DO - 10.1073/pnas.0909724107

M3 - Article

VL - 107

SP - 2807

EP - 2812

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 7

ER -