Abstract
Current genetic methods enable highly specific identification of DNA from modern fish bone. The applicability of these methods to the identification of archaeological fish bone was investigated through a study of a sample from late Holocene southeast Queensland sites. The resultant overall success rate of 2% indicates that DNA analysis is, as yet, not feasible for identifying fish bone from any given site. Taphonomic issues influencing the potential of genetic identification methods are raised and discussed in light of this result.
Highlights
Current methods of DNA analysis have the potential to identify archaeological fish bones to species, population or stock levels and theoretically to the individual level (Butler and Bowers 1998; Hlinka 1997, 1998; Nicholls 2000)
We suggest an alternative approach to sequencing for archaeological fish bone speciation by determining the presence or absence of short fragments of DNA amplified from archaeological samples rather than relying on sequence analysis
If working with vertebrae for example, the rate for a successful result would increase given that the amplification success rate is greater (12%) than the sequencing success rate (2%) in the southeast Queensland samples
Summary
Current methods of DNA analysis have the potential to identify archaeological fish bones to species, population or stock levels and theoretically to the individual level (Butler and Bowers 1998; Hlinka 1997, 1998; Nicholls 2000). The feasibility of applying such genetic methods to the taxonomic identification of archaeological fish bone was investigated through their application to samples from archaeological deposits in southeast Queensland. The sites from which fish bone specimens were obtained include Eurimbula Site 1, Mort Creek Site Complex, Seven Mile Creek Mound, Toulkerrie, Platypus Rockshelter and Lazaret Midden (Figure 1). Sample Context Eurimbula Site 1 (ES1) Eurimbula Site 1 is a large stratified shell midden complex intermittently exposed for some 2km along a steep erosion face of the western bank of Round Hill Creek on the eastern margin of Eurimbula National Park (Ulm et al 1999). As humic material had discoloured most of these fish bones, the least discoloured specimens were selected for analysis
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