Publications (3)19.36 Total impact
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Article: More DNA and dating studies needed for ancient El Arenal-1 chickens
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ABSTRACT: In their letter, Storey et al. (1) concede that there is no direct genetic support for Polynesian–South American contact. How-ever, they claim that linguistic, archaeological, and ethnohis-toric evidence supports Polynesia as the most likely source of the El Arenal-1 chickens. We disagree on two grounds. First, such indirect evidence is conjectural, documents no eastward expansion to South America, and says nothing about the pre-historic availability of particular mtDNA haplotypes. Second, our central point was that analyses of all available ancient (2) and modern chicken mtDNA data reveal that the El Arenal-1 chicken carries a worldwide genetic signature potentially available to any of the possible introduction routes via Eu-rope, Asia, and Polynesia (3). In contrast, none of the un-usual genetic signatures from Easter Island chickens have been reported from South America (3). The argument rests entirely on the radiocarbon dates. Cur-rent isotopic data indicate a fully terrestrial dietary signature (1). However, contrary to Storey et al. (1), El Arenal-1 is in-deed a midden where chicken bones were found associated with marine organisms (4), and there are no local isotopic standards available to confirm the relationship between diet and isotopic signatures. Any marine input for the two new dates (1) would be consistent with a post-Columbian chronol-ogy. A region-specific set of isotopic standards and radiocar-bon and stable isotope determinations for a large number of specimens of several species at the site are required as a mat-ter of priority including dating additional chicken bones in independent laboratories to ensure reliable radiocarbon measurements (5).Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 12/2008; 105(48):E100. · 9.68 Impact Factor -
Article: Indo-European and Asian origins for Chilean and Pacific chickens revealed by mtDNA
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ABSTRACT: European chickens were introduced into the American continents by the Spanish after their arrival in the 15th century. However, there is ongoing debate as to the presence of pre-Columbian chickens among Amerindians in South America, particularly in relation to Chilean breeds such as the Araucana and Passion Fowl. To understand the origin of these populations, we have generated partial mitochondrial DNA control region sequences from 41 native Chilean specimens and compared them with a previously generated database of ≈1,000 domestic chicken sequences from across the world as well as published Chilean and Polynesian ancient DNA sequences. The modern Chilean sequences cluster closely with haplotypes predominantly distributed among European, Indian subcontinental, and Southeast Asian chickens, consistent with a European genetic origin. A published, apparently pre-Columbian, Chilean specimen and six pre-European Polynesian specimens also cluster with the same European/Indian subcontinental/Southeast Asian sequences, providing no support for a Polynesian introduction of chickens to South America. In contrast, sequences from two archaeological sites on Easter Island group with an uncommon haplogroup from Indonesia, Japan, and China and may represent a genetic signature of an early Polynesian dispersal. Modeling of the potential marine carbon contribution to the Chilean archaeological specimen casts further doubt on claims for pre-Columbian chickens, and definitive proof will require further analyses of ancient DNA sequences and radiocarbon and stable isotope data from archaeological excavations within both Chile and Polynesia.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 07/2008; 105(30):10308-10313. · 9.68 Impact Factor -
Article: Reply to Storey et al.: More DNA and dating studies needed for ancient El Arenal-1 chickens
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Institutions
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2008
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Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
- Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal
Santiago, Region Metropolitana de Santiago, Chile -
University of Sydney
- Faculty of Veterinary Science
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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