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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 centres in the Southwest USA 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 (?13C, ?15N) 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 was observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest USA, 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.

SUBMITTER: Manin A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5792941 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Diversity of management strategies in Mesoamerican turkeys: archaeological, isotopic and genetic evidence.

Manin Aurelie A Corona-M Eduardo E Alexander Michelle M Craig Abigail A Thornton Erin Kennedy EK Yang Dongya Y DY Richards Michael M Speller Camilla F CF

Royal Society open science 20180117 1

The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centres in the Southwest USA 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 ...[more]

PMID: 29410864

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Dataset Information

Diversity of management strategies in Mesoamerican turkeys: archaeological, isotopic and genetic evidence.

Publications

Diversity of management strategies in Mesoamerican turkeys: archaeological, isotopic and genetic evidence.

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