202557(en)/38 - Reassessment of the Identity of Pre-Hispanic Andean Camelids through Osteometric and Ancient DNA Studies
REASSESSMENT OF THE IDENTITY OF PRE-HISPANIC ANDEAN CAMELIDS THROUGH OSTEOMETRIC AND ANCIENT DNA STUDIES
REVISIÓN DE LA IDENTIDAD DE LOS CAMÉLIDOS PREHISPÁNICOS ANDINOS MEDIANTE ESTUDIOS DE OSTEOMETRÍA Y ADN ANTIGUO
Víctor F. Vásquez Sánchez y Teresa E. Rosales Tham
A total of 223 first phalanges of camelids from six Moche sites on the northern coast of Peru were analyzed through osteometry to evaluate the effectiveness of osteometry classification. This technique yielded the identity of one large camelid species, assigned to Lama glama (llama), and another to Vicugna pacos (alpaca). By analyzing the size gradient of the P1 samples analyzed, groups of these phalanges were observed to overlap within the ranges of both large camelids (llamas) and small camelids (alpaca). This indicates that osteometry presents limitations when classifying samples that cannot be clearly distinguished as large or small, due to factors such as the disadvantages of the modern database, the evolutionary zoological cline, and possibly pre-conquest hybridization among domestic camelids. A sample of first phalanges from Huaca de la Luna, subjected to DNA analysis using microsatellite markers, revealed a particular evolution pattern among these Moche camelids. Significant differences were found in the profiles of the amplified ancient alleles, which showed an absence of stuttering bands, in contrast to the modern DNA alleles of L. glama, which display the typical stuttering DNA pattern. This has been interpreted as evidence of evolutionary changes over time in domestic camelids.