Cervidae antlers exploited to manufacture prehistoric tools and hunting implements as a reliable source of ancient DNA
Tejero, José-Miguel (University of Vienna)
Cheronet, Olivia (University of Vienna)
Gelabert, Pere (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Zagorc, Brina (University of Vienna)
Álvarez-Fernández, Esteban (Universidad de Salamanca. Departamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología)
Arias Cabal, Pablo (Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria)
Averbouh, Aline (Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle)
Bar-Oz, Guy (University of Haifa)
Barzilai, Omry (University of Haifa)
Belfer-Cohen, Anna (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Bosch, Marjolein D. (Prehistory Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Brück, Florian (University of Vienna)
Cueto, Marián (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Prehistòria)
Dockner, Martin (University of Vienna)
Fullola, Josep M. 1953- (Universitat de Barcelona. Institut d'Arqueologia)
Gárate, Diego (Instituto Internacional de Investigaciones Prehistóricas de Cantabria)
Giannakoulis, Michael (Uppsala University for Applied Sciences)
González, Cynthia (Universitat de Barcelona. Institut d'Arqueologia)
Jakeli, Nino (Tbilisi)
Mangado, Xavier (Universitat de Barcelona. Institut d'Arqueologia)
Meshveliani, Tengiz (Tbilisi)
Neruda, Petr (Moravské Zemské Museum)
Nigst, Philip (University of Vienna)
Ontañón, Roberto (Museo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria)
Shemer, Maayan (Ben Gurion University of the Negev)
Šimková, Petra G. (University of Vienna)
Tapia, Jesús (Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi)
Sánchez de la Torre, Marta (Universitat de Barcelona. Institut d'Arqueologia)
Schwab, Catherine (Musée d'Archéologie Nationale et Domaine National de Saint-Germain-en-Laye)
Weber, Gerhard (University of Vienna)
Pinhasi, Ron (University of Vienna)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	Antler is one of the primary animal raw materials exploited for technical purposes by the hunter-gatherer groups of the Eurasian Upper Palaeolithic (UP) all over the ecological range of deers, and beyond. It was exhaustively employed to produce one of the most critical tools for the survival of the UP societies: hunting weapons. However, antler implements can be made from diverse deer taxa, with different ecological requirements and ethological behaviours. Identifying the antler's origin at a taxonomic level is thus essential in improving our knowledge of humans' functional, practical and symbolic choices, as well as the human-animal interface during Prehistoric times. Nevertheless, palaeogenetics analyses have focused mainly on bone and teeth, with genetic studies of antler generally focused on modern deer conservation. Here we present the results of the first whole mitochondrial genome ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis by means of in-solution hybridisation capture of antlers from pre-Holocene archaeological contexts. We analysed a set of 50 Palaeolithic and Neolithic (c. 34-8ka) antler and osseous objects from South-Western Europe, Central Europe, South-Western Asia and the Caucasus. We successfully obtained aDNA, allowing us to identify the exploited taxa and demonstrate the archaeological relevance of those finds. Moreover, as most of the antlers were sampled using a minimally-invasive method, further analyses (morphometric, technical, genetic, radiometric and more) remain possible on these objects.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación RYC2021-033759-I Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-112832RB-I00 Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2020-114462GB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Ancient DNA ; Antler ; Upper palaeolithic ; Hunting implements ; Osseous tools
Published in:	Heliyon, Vol. 10, Issue 11 (June 2024) , art. e31858, ISSN 2405-8440

DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31858
PMID: 38845985

17 p, 1.7 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles