Looking for Fish of the Right Age: Using GIS in Conjunction with Salmon Genetics to Identify Key Submerged Drainages

Summary

Geospatial analysis of Beringian bathymetric data provides powerful tools for formulating predictive modeling of submerged sites of Pleistocene age. With the acceptance of Pre-Clovis archaeological sites in the Americas (Jenkins et al., 2012), attention has shifted to alternative models of the peopling of the Americas. A Coastal Migration hypothesis has been proposed by Erlandson et al. (2013, 2015), however any evidence of such a route is now submerged. Ice free areas along the Pacific margin of North America would have provided refugia for early peoples. Inspired in part by Haida traditional histories, this analysis is attempting to identify streams that could have supported anadromous fish species, like salmon. In addition to being an attractive resource in their own right, anadromous species provide marine derived nutrients to a variety of terrestrial taxa. More broadly, incorporation of genetic data and contemporary population studies provides insight into the effects of climate change on economically important species. This study provides preliminary results of hydrologic analysis as well as recommendations for future inquiry.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15680