Multiple studies have demonstrated that European colonization of the Americas caused the extinction of most mitochondrial lineages of North American dogs between 1492 and present, and that they were replaced by European lineages. Historical records indicate that colonists imported dogs from Europe to North America, and that they became objects of interest and exchange as early as the 17th century. However, it is unclear whether the oldest archaeological dogs found from the colonial period were of European, Native American, or mixed ancestry. To determine the ancestry of dogs from the Jamestown Colony in Virginia, scientists sequenced ancient mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from six archaeological dogs dating from 1609 to 1617.
Europeans and Native Americans treasured dogs as pets, used them for similar tasks, and as symbols of identity.
As a result, the dogs reflected the tensions between European and Native American cultures: settlers described Native American dogs as mongrels to emphasize their perception that Native Americans would not breed or own dogs.
Indigenous peoples perceived European dogs as a direct threat to their existence and took steps to restrict their use.
“Previous research had suggested that there were many indigenous dog species in the continental United States, but that they had gone extinct,” said Ariane Thomas, an anthropologist at the University of Iowa.
“We wanted to understand what it meant: when did it happen, were the dogs culled, were they in competition with European dogs or were they sick?”
Dr. Thomas and his colleagues focused on the Jamestown Colony in Virginia because of the number of dog remains found at the site and evidence of Native American influence.
They were able to identify and analyze 181 bones representing at least 16 different dogs.
Of these, the researchers selected 22 sites that span multiple points in Jamestown's early settlement, from 1607 to 1619.
To better understand the ancestry of these dogs, they extracted and sequenced ancient mtDNA.
Based on body size estimates alone, the researchers found that most of the Jamestown dogs weighed between 10 and 18 kg (22 and 39 pounds), comparable to modern beagles and schnauzers.
Additionally, many of the dog bones bore signs of human damage, including burn marks and cuts.
“Cut marks and other signs of butchery found on the dogs indicate that some of these dogs were eaten,” Dr Thomas said.
“This suggests that when settlers arrived, they did not have enough food and had to rely on the native dogs of the area.”
“Furthermore, DNA sequencing demonstrated that at least six of the dogs showed evidence of Native American ancestry.”
“Our findings indicate that there were indigenous dogs in the region and that they did not quickly become extinct when Europeans arrived.”
“While it is not surprising that dogs could be identified with Native American ancestry, our results suggest that settlers and Native American tribes may have been exchanging dogs and had little concern about potential interbreeding.”
of Survey results Published in the journal American Antiquity.
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Ariane E. Thomas othersTsenacomoco Dogs: Ancient DNA reveals presence of local dogs in Jamestown Colony in the early 17th century. American AntiquityPublished online May 22, 2024, doi: 10.1017/aaq.2024.25
Source: www.sci.news
