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Advancing the Practice of Coprolite Research
Abstract
This dissertation informs the practice of coprolite research by discussing ethical coprolite research and applying genetic and macroscopic analyses to dietary studies of coprolites from Bonneville Estates Rockshelter.
The work is divided into three sections, each of which addresses a question facing coprolite research. The first concerns the ethics of ancient DNA analyses on composite materials including coprolites, sediment, birch pitch, and dental calculus. I show that ethical concerns vary according to the composite used and provide historic context for genetic analyses on archaeological materials in the United States. The text contains discussion on how guidelines for working with ancient DNA from Ancestral remains can be applied to composite work. Finally, I offer a guide to planning ancient DNA research on composites under a framework of clear, open communication and collaboration with stakeholders.
The second section addresses differences between the chosen methods of coprolite analysis. I conducted a DNA metabarcoding and macroremains analysis on coprolites associated with Bonneville Estates’ middle and late Holocene. The results correlate to previous studies showing a reliance on small, dryland seeds and minimal wetland use throughout the Holocene. Inhabitants of Bonneville Estates likely visited in the summer/fall and utilized resources from both upland and lowland contexts. However, the genetic data revealed more taxa utilized for softer elements than the macroscopic data and the methods had little taxonomic overlap.
In the final section I consider coprolite quantification by using cluster analysis to detect dietary trends in coprolites recovered from all of Bonneville Estates’ cultural components. The data show a relatively consistent diet through time, though grass usage increases in the late Holocene. Foragers at the site predominantly visited in the summer/fall and relied on dependable dryland resources even in times of climate amelioration. Cluster analysis revealed individual diets were centered on pickleweed, dropseed sandgrass, unidentified cheno-ams, prickly pear, and unidentified fauna. Lagomorphs and pronghorn are common faunal supplements.
Together, this dissertation informs the practice of coprolite research and helps refine what is known about subsistence practices at Bonneville Estates Rockshelter.
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Citation
Johnson, Taryn Shae (2023). Advancing the Practice of Coprolite Research. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /203066.