Addressing issues of domestication and cultural continuity on the Northwest Coast using ancient DNA and dogs

Dogs (Canis familiaris) were the first domesticated animals and have been found in association with human activity as early as 17,000 years ago. Previous genetic studies have indicated that the gray wolf (Canis lupus) is the progenitor of dog populations however the timing and frequency of domestication events continues to be debated. Of particular interest is the origin of dog populations present in the New World prior to European contact. Some research has indicated that indigenous dogs arrived with the first human colonizers crossing the Bering Strait from Asia while other research points to the presence of independent domestication events occurring after the arrival of human populations in the Americas. This research uses ancient DNA techniques to study ancient dogs from precontact Northwest Coast archaeological sites in order to clarify the origin of domesticated dogs along the west coast of North America. While the majority of the founding dog populations have their origin in Old World populations, the presence of independent domestication of wild canids is also discovered in this analysis.; Along with attempts to clarify the origin of New World dogs, this analysis aimed to test the validity of using genetic analysis of indigenous dogs as proxies of activity patterns in precontact Aboriginal populations. The goal was to refine our understanding of the relationships between human populations, resource extraction, trade networks, seasonal movements, and adaptation to economic stress. Analysis of ancient dog populations has illuminated changes over time at the Namu site (ElSx-1) in the Central Coast region and clarified the relationship between these changes and periods of economic instability at the site. The presence of a combination of regionally specific variation and widespread genetic variants hints at the level of interaction among groups in certain areas and supports the presence of extensive trade networks along the coast. The ability to detect differences in site type, seasonality, and site use patterns remains speculative, however, preliminary results are intriguing and the potential for future research in this area is exciting. The overall success of this project bodes well for other researchers who are interested in investigating archaeological change through genetic analysis of previously underutilized ancient dog remains.