Earliest Mexican Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Maya Region: Implications for Pre-Hispanic Animal Trade and the Timing of Turkey Domestication

Erin Kennedy Thornton; Kitty F. Emery; David W. Steadman; Camilla Speller; Ray Matheny; Dongya Yang

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630

Earliest Mexican Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Maya Region: Implications for Pre-Hispanic Animal Trade and the Timing of Turkey Domestication

Erin Kennedy Thornton, Kitty F. Emery, David W. Steadman, Camilla Speller, Ray Matheny, Dongya Yang

Archaeology

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

Abstract

Late Preclassic (300 BC–AD 100) turkey remains identified at the archaeological site of El Mirador (Petén, Guatemala) represent the earliest evidence of the Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the ancient Maya world. Archaeological, zooarchaeological, and ancient DNA evidence combine to confirm the identification and context. The natural pre-Hispanic range of the Mexican turkey does not extend south of central Mexico, making the species non-local to the Maya area where another species, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), is indigenous. Prior to this discovery, the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo in the Maya area dated to approximately one thousand years later. The El Mirador specimens therefore represent previously unrecorded Preclassic exchange of animals from northern Mesoamerica to the Maya cultural region. As the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo found outside its natural geographic range, the El Mirador turkeys also represent the earliest indirect evidence for Mesoamerican turkey rearing or domestication. The presence of male, female and sub-adult turkeys, and reduced flight morphology further suggests that the El Mirador turkeys were raised in captivity. This supports an argument for the origins of turkey husbandry or at least captive rearing in the Preclassic.

Original language	Undefined/Unknown
Article number	e42630
Pages (from-to)	e42630 EP -
Journal	PLoS ONE
Volume	7
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630
Publication status	Published - 8 Aug 2012

Access to Document

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630

Cite this

@article{1291be437e6542728db1987afdba344b,

title = "Earliest Mexican Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Maya Region: Implications for Pre-Hispanic Animal Trade and the Timing of Turkey Domestication",

abstract = "Late Preclassic (300 BC–AD 100) turkey remains identified at the archaeological site of El Mirador (Pet{\'e}n, Guatemala) represent the earliest evidence of the Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the ancient Maya world. Archaeological, zooarchaeological, and ancient DNA evidence combine to confirm the identification and context. The natural pre-Hispanic range of the Mexican turkey does not extend south of central Mexico, making the species non-local to the Maya area where another species, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), is indigenous. Prior to this discovery, the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo in the Maya area dated to approximately one thousand years later. The El Mirador specimens therefore represent previously unrecorded Preclassic exchange of animals from northern Mesoamerica to the Maya cultural region. As the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo found outside its natural geographic range, the El Mirador turkeys also represent the earliest indirect evidence for Mesoamerican turkey rearing or domestication. The presence of male, female and sub-adult turkeys, and reduced flight morphology further suggests that the El Mirador turkeys were raised in captivity. This supports an argument for the origins of turkey husbandry or at least captive rearing in the Preclassic.",

author = "Thornton, {Erin Kennedy} and Emery, {Kitty F.} and Steadman, {David W.} and Camilla Speller and Ray Matheny and Dongya Yang",

year = "2012",

month = aug,

day = "8",

doi = "http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630",

language = "Undefined/Unknown",

volume = "7",

pages = "e42630 EP --",

journal = "PLoS ONE",

issn = "1932-6203",

publisher = "Public Library of Science",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Earliest Mexican Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Maya Region

T2 - Implications for Pre-Hispanic Animal Trade and the Timing of Turkey Domestication

AU - Thornton, Erin Kennedy

AU - Emery, Kitty F.

AU - Steadman, David W.

AU - Speller, Camilla

AU - Matheny, Ray

AU - Yang, Dongya

PY - 2012/8/8

Y1 - 2012/8/8

N2 - Late Preclassic (300 BC–AD 100) turkey remains identified at the archaeological site of El Mirador (Petén, Guatemala) represent the earliest evidence of the Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the ancient Maya world. Archaeological, zooarchaeological, and ancient DNA evidence combine to confirm the identification and context. The natural pre-Hispanic range of the Mexican turkey does not extend south of central Mexico, making the species non-local to the Maya area where another species, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), is indigenous. Prior to this discovery, the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo in the Maya area dated to approximately one thousand years later. The El Mirador specimens therefore represent previously unrecorded Preclassic exchange of animals from northern Mesoamerica to the Maya cultural region. As the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo found outside its natural geographic range, the El Mirador turkeys also represent the earliest indirect evidence for Mesoamerican turkey rearing or domestication. The presence of male, female and sub-adult turkeys, and reduced flight morphology further suggests that the El Mirador turkeys were raised in captivity. This supports an argument for the origins of turkey husbandry or at least captive rearing in the Preclassic.

AB - Late Preclassic (300 BC–AD 100) turkey remains identified at the archaeological site of El Mirador (Petén, Guatemala) represent the earliest evidence of the Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in the ancient Maya world. Archaeological, zooarchaeological, and ancient DNA evidence combine to confirm the identification and context. The natural pre-Hispanic range of the Mexican turkey does not extend south of central Mexico, making the species non-local to the Maya area where another species, the ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata), is indigenous. Prior to this discovery, the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo in the Maya area dated to approximately one thousand years later. The El Mirador specimens therefore represent previously unrecorded Preclassic exchange of animals from northern Mesoamerica to the Maya cultural region. As the earliest evidence of M. gallopavo found outside its natural geographic range, the El Mirador turkeys also represent the earliest indirect evidence for Mesoamerican turkey rearing or domestication. The presence of male, female and sub-adult turkeys, and reduced flight morphology further suggests that the El Mirador turkeys were raised in captivity. This supports an argument for the origins of turkey husbandry or at least captive rearing in the Preclassic.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864721318&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630

DO - http://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042630

M3 - Article

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 7

SP - e42630 EP -

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 8

M1 - e42630

ER -

Earliest Mexican Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) in the Maya Region: Implications for Pre-Hispanic Animal Trade and the Timing of Turkey Domestication

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this