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Edible flora in pre-Columbian Caribbean coprolites: Expected and unexpected data
Jelissa Reynoso-García1, Tasha M Santiago-Rodriguez2, Yvonne Narganes-Storde3
1Environmental Microbiology Laboratory, Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ancient DNA from coprolites reveals diverse diets of pre-Columbian Caribbean cultures, including maize and surprising crops like cotton and tobacco. This study offers insights into ancient plant use and human lifestyles.
Area of Science:
- Paleogenomics
- Archaeobotany
- Microbiome analysis
Background:
- Coprolites preserve ancient DNA (aDNA), offering direct evidence of past diets.
- Pre-Columbian Caribbean cultures' dietary habits and plant utilization remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct the diet and lifestyle of pre-Columbian Huecoid and Saladoid cultures in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
- To analyze ancient plant DNA and fungal DNA from coprolites to infer food consumption.
- To compare dietary patterns with other pre-Columbian and modern populations.
Main Methods:
- Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of ancient DNA from coprolites.
- Bioinformatic analysis of plant and fungal DNA sequences.
- Comparative analysis with existing ancient DNA datasets.
Main Results:
- Identified diverse plant consumption, including maize, sweet potato, chili peppers, peanuts, papaya, tomato, cotton, and tobacco.
- Detected fungal DNA (Ustilago spp.) suggesting maize and huitlacoche consumption.
- Dietary patterns showed similarities to present-day hunter-gatherers, with agriculturalists in a transitional phase.
Conclusions:
- Ancient DNA from coprolites provides crucial insights into pre-Columbian Caribbean flora and subsistence strategies.
- Dietary diversity and plant use varied significantly with cultural and agricultural development.
- This research underscores the value of aDNA studies for understanding ancient human populations and their environments.
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