Using Environmental DNA to Examine Human-Animal Interactions on the California Channel Islands

Author(s): Sabrina Shirazi; Courtney Hofman; Torben Rick; Jesus Maldonado

Year: 2016

Summary

Conducting aDNA analyses can be limited by the preservation and availability of biological remains at archaeological sites. Soil can contain DNA (environmental DNA [eDNA]) from the animals and plants that were present In the landscape and provide a record of prehistoric plant and animal distributions. We designed and tested a protocol to capture DNA from several extinct and extant taxa from soil on the California Channel Islands as a potential tool for understanding the biogeography of island mammals and birds. This eDNA approach allows us to examine human-animal interactions that could otherwise not be identified.

Cite this Record

Using Environmental DNA to Examine Human-Animal Interactions on the California Channel Islands. Sabrina Shirazi, Courtney Hofman, Torben Rick, Jesus Maldonado. Presented at The 81st Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Orlando, Florida. 2016 ( tDAR id: 405050)

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Keywords

General
conservation archaeogenomics • Environmental Archaeology • Environmental DNA

Geographic Keywords
North America - California

Spatial Coverage

min long: -125.464; min lat: 32.101 ; max long: -114.214; max lat: 42.033 ;