ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA—A new analysis of mitochondrial DNA in domestic chicken bones from Polynesian archaeological sites and modern chickens by Alan Cooper of the University of Adelaide challenges the idea that a genetic mutation in South American chickens links them to early chickens from Polynesia. “We found instead this quite distinct Pacific genetic signature—with four particular markers—that we only find in the Pacific and seems to be in all of the ancient Polynesian birds,” Cooper told Australia’s ABC Science. He and his colleagues think the genetic link between South American and Polynesian fowl found by archaeologist Alice Storey resulted from the contamination of the ancient Polynesian chicken bones with modern chicken DNA. “In chickens in particular we know that mitochondrial DNA doesn’t tell us anything about the past,” countered Storey.
Tracking Human Migration With Chicken DNA
News March 18, 2014
Recommended Articles
Features November/December 2024
Let the Games Begin
How gladiators in ancient Anatolia lived to entertain the masses
Features November/December 2024
The Many Faces of the Kingdom of Shu
Thousands of fantastical bronzes are beginning to reveal the secrets of a legendary Chinese dynasty
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2024
Egyptian Crocodile Hunt
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2024
Monuments to Youth
-
Features January/February 2014
Stone Towns of the Swahili Coast
Along 2,000 miles of the East African coast, the sophisticated trading centers of the medieval Swahili reveal their origins and influences
(Samir S. Patel) -
Letter from England January/February 2014
The Scientist’s Garden
Excavations in an English garden reveal the evolution of the nation's culture across thousands of years
(Adam Stanford, Aerial-Cam) -
Artifacts January/February 2014
Limestone Eagle
(Matthew Helmer) -
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2014
French Revolution Forgeries?
(Courtesy Davide Pettener/Paolo Garagnani)