Ancient DNA: one more tool in studies in Rheidae for South America

GIARDINA MIGUEL; NEME GUSTAVO; LEBRASSEUR OPHELI; JOHNSON JEFF; ABBONA CINTHIA; WOLVERTON STEVE

Sheffield

Congreso; 9 Th BWG Meeting; 2018

University of Sheffield

The identification of zooarchaeological remains at the species level is always a dilemma that we often face in determining the different bone specimens. Achieving specific levels of taxonomic identification helps to improve aspects not only directly linked to subsistence, but also to issues related to territoriality, mobility, paleoclimate, etc. In this sense, the analysis of ancient DNA has shown its capacity to discriminate between morphologically similar species and therefore difficult to discriminate with comparative and even morphometric methods. In this work, the results of the taxonomic identification in specimens of ratites through the use of new technologies of massive DNA sequencing.The bones specimens of sequenced ratites correspond to a total of 25 fragments from four archaeological sites in southern Mendoza, Argentina. The taxonomic identification reached also allowed to discuss biogeographical aspects of the species of Rhea americana and Rhea pennata. The analyzes were based on the comparison of mitochondrial genomes through molecular data obtained by NGS (Next-Generation Sequencing).