Microscopic and ancient DNA profiling of Polynesian dog (kurī) coprolites from northern New Zealand. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wood, Jamie R.; Crown, Andrea; Cole, Theresa L.; Wilmshurst, Janet M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of archaeological science. Volume 6(2016)
• Page Start: 496
• Page End: 505
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Ancient DNA -- Commensal species -- Coprolites -- Cultivars -- Diet -- Māori -- Pollen; Archaeology -- Periodicals; Archaeology -- Research -- Periodicals; 930.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2016.03.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-409X

Abstract

Abstract: Dogs (known to Māori as kūri) were first brought to New Zealand by Polynesian settlers ~ 750 years ago, and served both important functional and cultural roles. Purebred kūri became extinct soon after European settlement, by cross-breeding with dogs of European origin. Thus, knowledge about kūri relies heavily upon interpretation of their archaeological remains. The diet of kūri has previously been inferred from coprolite analyses, yet some uncertainty remains as to whether these coprolites were from dog or human origins. Here, we provide the first study of coprolites from New Zealand archaeological contexts to combine both microscopic and ancient DNA analyses. We confirm the depositor of the coprolites was kūri, and reveal a diet comprised dominantly of marine (fish, shellfish) components and plant matter. Plants identified from the coprolites included both native (e.g. Macropiper, Carex, Juncus, Potamogeton ) and cultivated commensal (e.g. Lagenaria siceraria, Broussonetia papyrifera ) taxa. The results suggest that kūri diets overlapped with typical early Māori diets in the same region. Our study has demonstrated the potential for combined microscopic and ancient DNA analysis of coprolites to provide deeper insights into the biology, behaviour and husbandary of kūri in prehistoric New Zealand. Graphical abstract: Highlights: We performed microscopic and aDNA analyses of dog coprolites from New Zealand They revealed a diet dominated by marine fish and cultivated plant components Charcoal fragments suggest the dogs scavenged from middens or were fed scraps