Molecular species assignment and dating of putative pre-Columbian dog remains excavated from Bolivia

Abstract

Examination of faunal remains from archaeological sites facilitates investigation of the history of human–animal interactions, domestication-related pathways and subsistence strategies. In South America, archaeological remains of dogs are rare and confined mostly to the Andean region. Such remains are often fragmentary and can be difficult to identify, particularly in the presence of closely related canine species. In this study, we performed ancient DNA analysis and radiocarbon dating to verify the species and age of five putative pre-Columbian dog remains excavated from the Formative to Tiwanaku contexts at four archaeological sites in Bolivia. Phylogenetic analysis and radiocarbon dating revealed that only one sample was of a pre-Columbian dog, whereas two samples were identified to be of contemporary dogs and two of South American foxes. Our results underline the need for verifying species assignment and age, particularly of fragmentary remains, even if they are found at seemingly undisturbed archaeological contexts.