Collagen fingerprinting of vertebrate remains in the Neotropics.

BUCKLEY, M.; A. CARLINI; A. CHAMBERLAIN; R. COOKE; V. EGERTON; M. MANNING ; M. MONDINI

Congreso; 12th International Conference of the International Council for ArchaeoZoology; 2014

The taphonomic fragmentation of bone specimens is a factor that affects many archaeological assemblages, with high proportions of morphologically-unidentifiable remains frequently assumed uninformative. Molecular methods for objective species identification have existed for several decades, the most notable of these being DNA analysis. However, DNA analyses in warm environments, such as in the tropics, has long known to be a major detrimental factor resulting in poor success rates and often at high cost. Protein analyses on the other hand are proving to be a low-cost alternative to identifying the species of faunal remains at archaeological and palaeontological sites. This poster presents the application of Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) to a wide variety of archaeological fauna from the Neotropics, exploring the taxonomic and temporal resolution of the technique. Case studies include camelids from Antofagasta de la Sierra (Argentina), white-tailed and brocket deer from Pedro Gonzalez (Panama), both rodents (e.g., hutias and shrews) and reptiles from the Cayman Islands as well as a range of Xenarthran megafauna from across the continent.