| dc.description.abstract | The genetic and macrofossil composition of paleofeces from Bonneville Estates Rockshelter (BER) can aid environmental and dietary reconstruction, as the dietary contents of coprolites change as environmental conditions shifted from hot and dry in the Middle Holocene to cool and moist in the Late Holocene, and as the distribution of food resources shifted locally. To analyze the potential shift in taxonomic diversity and genetic biodiversity present in prehistoric diets of the human occupants over this transitionary period, ancient DNA was extracted and macroremains sorted from ten paleofecal samples from Bonneville Estates Rockshelter, eastern Nevada, USA. Identifications of floral and faunal contents were established at the lowest possible taxonomic levels, and results were compared to analyze how Archaic diets may have shifted through time, from about 7000 to 1000 years ago. Additional comparisons were made between the molecular and macroscopic results to determine the differences in the kinds of traces found in each. Results suggest a strong reliance on dryland resources, especially small seeds, throughout the rockshelter’s occupations, with some integration of more wetland resources. Additionally, DNA metabarcoding and macroremains analysis display complementary utility, as there was little overlap between the traces found in each. Further research will be done to determine if additional shifts, be they cultural, populational, or otherwise, occurred alongside the dietary changes. Broader applications of this study consider the effect of climate change on floral and faunal populations and how humans interacted with the biotic parts of their environment, leading to greater understanding of past and present human ecology. | en |
