Stable isotope and ancient DNA analysis of dog remains from Cathlapotle (45CL1), a contact-era site on the Lower Columbia River

Kenneth Ames; Michael Richards; Camilla Filomena Speller; Dongya Yang; R. Lee Lyman; Virginia Butler

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038

Stable isotope and ancient DNA analysis of dog remains from Cathlapotle (45CL1), a contact-era site on the Lower Columbia River

Kenneth Ames, Michael Richards, Camilla Filomena Speller, Dongya Yang, R. Lee Lyman, Virginia Butler

Archaeology

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

Abstract

This study reports ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analyses of eight dog skeletal elements from the Cathlapotle site on the Lower Columbia River of the western United States. The aDNA analysis confirmed the elements as dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Two haplotypes were found, both of which group within dog Clade A, and have patchy distributions to the north in British Columbia and as far south as Teotihuacan (Mexico). The isotopic analysis showed that the dogs' dietary protein was derived almost exclusively from marine sources. Lower Columbia River ethnohistoric accounts and Cathlapotle zooarchaeological records indicate that while marine fish were dietary keystones, the local diet was more diverse, and included terrestrial organisms and freshwater fishes. This apparent discrepancy raises the possibility the dogs were selectively fed. Thus their diet may not be a close proxy for human diet in this context.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	268-282
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of archaeological science
Volume	57
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038
Publication status	Published - May 2015

Keywords

Isotopes
Diet
Dogs
Ancient DNA
Northwest Coast

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440315000849

Cite this

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title = "Stable isotope and ancient DNA analysis of dog remains from Cathlapotle (45CL1), a contact-era site on the Lower Columbia River",

abstract = "This study reports ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analyses of eight dog skeletal elements from the Cathlapotle site on the Lower Columbia River of the western United States. The aDNA analysis confirmed the elements as dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Two haplotypes were found, both of which group within dog Clade A, and have patchy distributions to the north in British Columbia and as far south as Teotihuacan (Mexico). The isotopic analysis showed that the dogs' dietary protein was derived almost exclusively from marine sources. Lower Columbia River ethnohistoric accounts and Cathlapotle zooarchaeological records indicate that while marine fish were dietary keystones, the local diet was more diverse, and included terrestrial organisms and freshwater fishes. This apparent discrepancy raises the possibility the dogs were selectively fed. Thus their diet may not be a close proxy for human diet in this context.",

keywords = "Isotopes, Diet, Dogs, Ancient DNA, Northwest Coast",

author = "Kenneth Ames and Michael Richards and Speller, {Camilla Filomena} and Dongya Yang and Lyman, {R. Lee} and Virginia Butler",

year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038",

language = "English",

volume = "57",

pages = "268--282",

journal = "Journal of archaeological science",

issn = "0305-4403",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Stable isotope and ancient DNA analysis of dog remains from Cathlapotle (45CL1), a contact-era site on the Lower Columbia River

AU - Ames, Kenneth

AU - Richards, Michael

AU - Speller, Camilla Filomena

AU - Yang, Dongya

AU - Lyman, R. Lee

AU - Butler, Virginia

PY - 2015/5

Y1 - 2015/5

N2 - This study reports ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analyses of eight dog skeletal elements from the Cathlapotle site on the Lower Columbia River of the western United States. The aDNA analysis confirmed the elements as dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Two haplotypes were found, both of which group within dog Clade A, and have patchy distributions to the north in British Columbia and as far south as Teotihuacan (Mexico). The isotopic analysis showed that the dogs' dietary protein was derived almost exclusively from marine sources. Lower Columbia River ethnohistoric accounts and Cathlapotle zooarchaeological records indicate that while marine fish were dietary keystones, the local diet was more diverse, and included terrestrial organisms and freshwater fishes. This apparent discrepancy raises the possibility the dogs were selectively fed. Thus their diet may not be a close proxy for human diet in this context.

AB - This study reports ancient DNA (aDNA) and stable isotope analyses of eight dog skeletal elements from the Cathlapotle site on the Lower Columbia River of the western United States. The aDNA analysis confirmed the elements as dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Two haplotypes were found, both of which group within dog Clade A, and have patchy distributions to the north in British Columbia and as far south as Teotihuacan (Mexico). The isotopic analysis showed that the dogs' dietary protein was derived almost exclusively from marine sources. Lower Columbia River ethnohistoric accounts and Cathlapotle zooarchaeological records indicate that while marine fish were dietary keystones, the local diet was more diverse, and included terrestrial organisms and freshwater fishes. This apparent discrepancy raises the possibility the dogs were selectively fed. Thus their diet may not be a close proxy for human diet in this context.

KW - Isotopes

KW - Diet

KW - Dogs

KW - Ancient DNA

KW - Northwest Coast

U2 - 10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038

DO - 10.1016/j.jas.2015.02.038

M3 - Article

SN - 0305-4403

VL - 57

SP - 268

EP - 282

JO - Journal of archaeological science

JF - Journal of archaeological science

ER -