A sixteenth-century turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from Puerto Real, Hispaniola

Abstract

A single turkey (Meleagris spp.) coracoid was identified from Puerto Real, a Spanish colonial town founded in 1503 on the north coast of Hispaniola and destroyed in 1579. Turkeys are not indigenous to Hispaniola, but wild turkeys were widespread in lands bordering the northern Gulf of Mexico and domestic turkeys were common in parts of Mexico. A wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) at Puerto Real might be indirect evidence that wild turkeys were sent to Europe in the early to mid-1500s from the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. If the Puerto Real individual is a domestic South Mexican turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo), however, this would confirm that domestic turkeys were present in the Caribbean archipelago shortly after 1492. Ancient mitochondrial DNA D-loop analysis confirmed the identification of Meleagris gallopavo, with a haplotype most consistent with a Mesoamerican origin. Isotopic evidence suggested a reliance on C4 plants, likely maize (Zea mays), rather than a typical wild turkey diet high in C3 plants. Together, the biomolecular evidence suggests this turkey traces its lineage to Mesoamerica, and is part of the larger post-Columbian merger of diverse cultural traditions.