ABSTRACT
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
ABSTRACT
Guinea pigs (Cavia spp.) have a long association with humans. From as early as 10,000 years ago they were a wild food source. Later, domesticated Cavia porcellus were dispersed well beyond their native range through pre-Columbian exchange networks and, more recently, widely across the globe. Here we present 46 complete mitogenomes of archaeological guinea pigs from sites in Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, the Caribbean, Belgium and the United States to elucidate their evolutionary history, origins and paths of dispersal. Our results indicate an independent centre of domestication of Cavia in the eastern Colombian Highlands. We identify a Peruvian origin for the initial introduction of domesticated guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) beyond South America into the Caribbean. We also demonstrate that Peru was the probable source of the earliest known guinea pigs transported, as part of the exotic pet trade, to both Europe and the southeastern United States. Finally, we identify a modern reintroduction of guinea pigs to Puerto Rico, where local inhabitants use them for food. This research demonstrates that the natural and cultural history of guinea pigs is more complex than previously known and has implications for other studies regarding regional to global-scale studies of mammal domestication, translocation, and distribution.
Subject(s)
DNA, Ancient/analysis , DNA, Mitochondrial/analysis , Guinea Pigs/classification , Mitochondria/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary , Animals , Belgium , Bolivia , Colombia , Domestication , Evolution, Molecular , Guinea Pigs/genetics , Peru , Phylogeny , Phylogeography , Population Dynamics , Puerto Rico , United StatesSubject(s)
Education, Nursing, Continuing , Educational Measurement , Lung Diseases/nursing , HumansABSTRACT
Trace element analysis of obsidian artifacts from Moho Cay, Belize, reveals that the obsidian derives primarily from the El Chayal outcrop in highland Guatemala and not from the Ixtepeque source. This is contrary to the widely accepted obsidian trade route model for Classic Maya civilization and suggests that Classic Maya obsidian trade was a more complex economic phenomenon than has been recognized.
ABSTRACT
Two newly-born Anglo Nubian kids with clinical evidence of a severe neurological condition were examined. Pathological examination revealed cytoplasmic vacuolation in neural tissue and in localized areas in the kidney, pancreas and lymphoid tissue. Biochemical investigations demonstrated a deficiency of beta-mannosidase in tissues and blood serum.
