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The molecular palaeoecology of geese: identification of archaeological goose remains using ancient DNA analysis
Author(s) -
Barnes Ian,
Dobney Keith M.,
Young J. Peter W.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
international journal of osteoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1099-1212
pISSN - 1047-482X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1212(199807/08)8:4<280::aid-oa428>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - goose , ancient dna , branta , mitochondrial dna , biology , cytochrome b , paleoecology , archaeology , identification (biology) , zoology , barnacle , midden , evolutionary biology , ecology , geography , paleontology , gene , genetics , crustacean , population , demography , sociology
The remains of six species of geese are commonly recovered from archaeological sites in Britain dating from the Saxon and later periods. However, identification of this material to species level is hampered by a lack of morphological variation and a large overlap in size. To address this issue we obtained DNA sequence data for a section of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from modern samples of each species, and successfully identified several DNA markers for Branta species. No markers were found within the cytochrome b gene for the genus Anser. Ancient DNA techniques were then used to recover DNA from goose bones excavated from two archaeological sites. The DNA sequences enabled identification of Barnacle goose ( Branta leucopsis ) from one site and confirmed the presence of Anser species at another. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.