Identifying Archaeological Bone via Non-Destructive ZooMS and the Materiality of Symbolic Expression: Examples from Iroquoian Bone Points.

Today, practical, functional and symbolic choices inform the selection of raw materials for worked objects. In cases where we can discern the origin of worked bone, tooth, ivory and antler objects in the past, we assume that similar choices are being made. However, morphological species identification of worked objects is often impossible due to the loss of identifying characteristics during manufacture. Here, we describe a novel non-destructive ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry) method which was applied to bone points from Pre-Contact St. Lawrence Iroquoian village sites in southern Quebec, Canada. The traditional ZooMS technique requires destructive analysis of a sample, which can be problematic when dealing with artefacts. Here we instead extracted proteins from the plastic bags in which the points had been stored. ZooMS analysis revealed hitherto unexpected species, notably black bear (Ursus americanus) and human (Homo sapiens sapiens), used in point manufacture. These surprising results (confirmed through genomic sequencing) highlight the importance of advancing biomolecular research in artefact studies. Furthermore, they unexpectedly and exceptionally allow us to identify and explore the tangible, material traces of the symbolic relationship between bears and humans, central to past and present Iroquoian cosmology and mythology

Using genetics in the conservation management of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) in Missouri

By the early 1900s, black bears were believed to be almost extinct in Missouri and Arkansas, presumably due to extensive logging and overharvest. To reestablish Arkansas populations, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission conducted a translocation program from 1958 to 1968, moving 254 bears from Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada, to the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests. This remains one of the most successful large mammal translocations ever conducted, and the Arkansas population grew rapidly into the thousands. However, bear sightings and nuisance reports suggested that 50 years after the translocations, populations in Missouri were small, and densities were low. We conducted a spatially explicit genetic capture-recapture study to estimate the size and density of the black bear population in south-centralMissouri.We genotyped hair samples collected over two years using 15 microsatellite loci and estimated the population size at 279 ± 54 (SE) and the density at 1.7 bears/km2. To infer the source of bears colonizing Missouri, we analyzed the resulting genotypes in the Bayesian clustering program STRUCTURE along with genotypes from Arkansas, Oklahoma, and source populations. The results revealed unique genetic clusters in the Ouachitas, the Ozarks, and the source populations and found that Missouri bears were divided between those that clustered with the Ozarks and a unique cluster. The presence of the unique cluster in Missouri supports the hypothesis that black bears in the Missouri Ozarks were not extirpated but were reduced to very low densities during European settlement and have subsequently become admixed with bears that trace their ancestry to the reintroduction. While some might suggest that the unique Missouri population should be designated as a separate management unit, we caution that this might not be beneficial to the preservation of the Missouri bear population as we have no evidence that it is ecologically or geographically distinct, it has low genetic diversity, and the genetic differentiation may not be related to adaptive differences

First genomic study on Lake Tanganyika sprat Stolothrissa tanganicae : a lack of population structure calls for integrated management of this important fisheries target species

BackgroundClupeid fisheries in Lake Tanganyika (East Africa) provide food for millions of people in one of the world's poorest regions. Due to climate change and overfishing, the clupeid stocks of Lake Tanganyika are declining. We investigate the population structure of the Lake Tanganyika sprat Stolothrissa tanganicae, using for the first time a genomic approach on this species. This is an important step towards knowing if the species should be managed separately or as a single stock. Population structure is important for fisheries management, yet understudied for many African freshwater species. We hypothesize that distinct stocks of S. tanganicae could be present due to the large size of the lake (isolation by distance), limnological variation (adaptive evolution), or past separation of the lake (historical subdivision). On the other hand, high mobility of the species and lack of obvious migration barriers might have resulted in a homogenous population.ResultsWe performed a population genetic study on wild-caught S. tanganicae through a combination of mitochondrial genotyping (96 individuals) and RAD sequencing (83 individuals). Samples were collected at five locations along a north-south axis of Lake Tanganyika. The mtDNA data had low global FST and, visualised in a haplotype network, did not show phylogeographic structure. RAD sequencing yielded a panel of 3504 SNPs, with low genetic differentiation (F-ST=0.0054; 95% CI: 0.0046-0.0066). PCoA, fineRADstructure and global F-ST suggest a near-panmictic population. Two distinct groups are apparent in these analyses (F-ST=0.1338 95% CI: 0.1239,0.1445), which do not correspond to sampling locations. Autocorrelation analysis showed a slight increase in genetic difference with increasing distance. No outlier loci were detected in the RADseq data.ConclusionOur results show at most very weak geographical structuring of the stock and do not provide evidence for genetic adaptation to historical or environmental differences over a north-south axis. Based on these results, we advise to manage the stock as one population, integrating one management strategy over the four riparian countries. These results are a first comprehensive study on the population structure of these important fisheries target species, and can guide fisheries management.Peer reviewe

Data from: Spatial genetic structure in American black bears (Ursus americanus): female philopatry is variable and related to population history

Previously, American black bears (Ursus americanus) were thought to follow the pattern of female philopatry and male-biased dispersal. However, recent studies have identified deviations from this pattern. Such flexibility in dispersal patterns can allow individuals greater ability to acclimate to changing environments. We explored dispersal and spatial genetic relatedness patterns across ten black bear populations—including long established (historic), with known reproduction >50 years ago, and newly established (recent) populations, with reproduction recorded <50 years ago—in the Interior Highlands and Southern Appalachian Mountains, United States. We used spatially-explicit, individual-based genetic simulations to model gene flow under scenarios with varying levels of population density, genetic diversity, and female philopatry. Using measures of genetic distance and spatial autocorrelation, we compared metrics between sexes, between population types (historic and recent), and among simulated scenarios which varied in density, genetic diversity, and sex-biased philopatry. In empirical populations, females in recent populations exhibited stronger patterns of isolation-by-distance (IBD) than females and males in historic populations. In simulated populations, low density populations had a stronger indication of IBD than medium to high density populations; however, this effect varied in empirical populations. Condition dependent dispersal strategies may permit species to cope with novel conditions and rapidly expand populations. Pattern-process modelling can provide qualitative and quantitative means to explore variable dispersal patterns, and could be employed in other species, particularly to anticipate range shifts in response to changing climate and habitat conditions