Doctoral Dissertation Research: Insight into the Process of Animal Domestication and Adaptation.

While turkeys (Meleagris spp.) are mainly regarded as food today, these birds held considerable political and symbolic significance in past societies. This doctoral dissertation project examines how local communities managed turkeys as components of a broader political and ideological frameworks. Societies went to great lengths to raise these birds in a hot and humid environment, a challenging feat even today.

Despite the abundance of other native birds, why did such societies incorporate this ill-suited geographically foreign species? How did social and ideological decisions shape the introduction of turkeys along the frontier? How were turkeys managed in a demanding tropical environment?

Archaeology is well-situated to address these questions by examining human-environment interactions through time using multiple lines of evidence, including osteological, molecular, and chemical datasets. In addition to testing theoretical models of interregional interaction and animal management, the results of this investigation hold significant academic and practical implications for studies on animal domestication.

The genetic data generated in this project can inform current research on turkey genetic diversity. This research also highlights the importance of evaluating management practices, which can inform studies on resilience and food sovereignty in tropical regions. Broadly, this investigation fosters collaborative ties with multiple institutions and supports the participation of underrepresented groups in science.

The researchers disseminate the results through various channels, including a PhD dissertation, and by engaging with descendant communities. Furthermore, the use of 3D scanning and printing technology ensures that countries of origin remain the rightful custodians while permitting informative destructive analyses.

By shifting the focus to societies along borderlands, this investigation will produce a deeper understanding of the multifaceted nature of interregional interactions beyond state societies. Researchers employ ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses, stable isotope data, and radiocarbon dating of turkey bones recovered from multiple relevant archaeological sites.

The geographic origins of turkeys are evaluated through aDNA to understand trade dynamics. Radiocarbon dating is used to create a local translocation chronology and examine how it relates to regional political events. A combination of stable isotope, genetic data, and osteological evidence are used to reconstruct management practices.

By drawing on multiple lines of evidence, this work addresses relevant anthropological issues of interregional cultural and political dynamics, as well as animal management strategies. In a broader context, this research provides new insight into human-animal interactions and contributes to further documenting the complex sociopolitical history of animal management and domestication.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.