Diversity of Management Strategies in Mesoamerican Turkeys: Archaeological, Isotopic and Genetic Evidence

Aurelie Ophelie Manin; Eduardo Corona-M; Michelle Marie Alexander; Abigail Craig; Erin Kennedy Thornton; Dongya Yang; Michael P  Richards; Camilla Filomena Speller

doi:10.1098/rsos.171613

Diversity of Management Strategies in Mesoamerican Turkeys: Archaeological, Isotopic and Genetic Evidence

Aurelie Ophelie Manin, Eduardo Corona-M, Michelle Marie Alexander, Abigail Craig, Erin Kennedy Thornton, Dongya Yang, Michael P Richards, Camilla Filomena Speller

Archaeology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centers in the Southwest United States and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo, and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively-reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes were observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest United States, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning, and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	Royal Society Open Science
Early online date	17 Jan 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.171613
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 17 Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ancient DNA analysis
animal domestication
archaeology
isotope analysis
Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)

Access to Document

10.1098/rsos.171613Licence: CC BY

171613.full
© 2018 The Authors.
Final published version, 830 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Diversity of Management Strategies in Mesoamerican Turkeys: Archaeological, Isotopic and Genetic Evidence",

abstract = "The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centers in the Southwest United States and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo, and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively-reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes were observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest United States, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning, and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period.",

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AU - Craig, Abigail

AU - Thornton, Erin Kennedy

AU - Yang, Dongya

AU - Richards, Michael P

AU - Speller, Camilla Filomena

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N2 - The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centers in the Southwest United States and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo, and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively-reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes were observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest United States, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning, and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period.

AB - The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centers in the Southwest United States and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo, and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively-reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes were observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest United States, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning, and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period.

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