Biomolecular Archaeology in Conservation

Session Hosting Format:

in-person session

Organizer(s):

Willem King, MA student, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
Genevieve Wick, MA student, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University
Yuxin Cao, MA student, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University

Contact Email:

Session Description (300 word max):

Human-driven environmental change, including pollution, overexploitation, and other factors, has significantly altered the landscape, endangering native species and ecosystems. A key effort in conservation is the restoration of the functions of past ecosystems prior to modern disturbances by reconstructing historical and prehistoric baselines. The archaeological record, with its deep-time perspective, provides unique opportunities to tackle this issue. Leveraging this deep-time perspective, biomolecular archaeology applies a range of techniques, including ancient DNA, stable isotopes, proteomics, and lipid analysis, to inform targeted, actionable conservation strategies for habitat restoration, species recovery, and sustainable resource management. This session aims to highlight how these methods connect the archaeological record to modern conservation efforts in Canada and worldwide.

Our aim is to advance biomolecular approaches to conservation and promote the importance of collaboration among archaeologists, ecologists, geneticists, policymakers, and stakeholders. Any contribution that applies methods in biomolecular archaeology to environmental conservation or policy is welcome, including Indigenous-led projects and/or novel methods.

Présentations

Ancient DNA Analysis of Caribou and Muskox Remains from Banks Island: Implications for Biodiversity and Past Human Subsistence

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Yuxin Cao - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Lisa Hodgetts - Western University, London, ON
Antonia Rodrigues - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Hua Zhang - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
Dongya Yang - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Caribou and muskox are native species to Banks Island in Inuvialuit Nunangat (the Inuvialuit homelands in Canada’s Northwest Territories). Their skeletal remains are found in many archaeological sites across the island, suggesting that they played a key role in the subsistence of past humans. Inuvialuit knowledge and historical records show that their populations have fluctuated dramatically since the early 20^th century, raising questions about their long-term stability, as well as the impact of these fluctuations on the Indigenous Inuvialuit community and the Arctic ecosystem. To better understand how and why these fluctuations occur and their possible impacts, an investigation into the species’ past populations through ancient DNA is needed.

We analyzed 105 caribou and 123 muskox bones from 17 Banks Island sites that span over 3,000 years. We obtained mitochondrial D-Loop fragments with a high success rate (>85%), allowing the reconstruction of past population size changes and haplogroup replacements. These events will be integrated with knowledge of human activities, interspecific competition, and climate change in the region to explore their interconnections. This study will shed light on the patterns and mechanisms of caribou and muskox population changes and how past humans interacted with them, eventually informing future conservation strategies.

Fish ZooMS on the Pacific Northwest Coast: Preliminary results and potentials for a comprehensive ZooMS database of archaeologically significant fish species

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Jay Hilsden - University of British Columbia
Lindsey Paskulin - University of British Columbia
Emily Yuan - University of British Columbia
Nicholas Jacobs - University of British Columbia
Angela Buttress - University of British Columbia
Azquet Gomez Merlo - University of British Columbia
Jasmine Mahil - University of British Columbia
Lauren McKay - University of British Columbia
Camilla Speller - University of British Columbia

Fish are the most frequently identified class of vertebrate across Pacific Northwest Coast (NWC) archaeological sites. Consequently, identifying archaeological fish elements to species can lend insight into both cultural aspects of past Indigenous communities and aid in reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions. There are more than a 100 fish species across numerous taxa that are variably identified at archaeological sites, but due to osteological similarities between closely-related taxa and fish bone’s higher fragmentation rates creating undiagnostic elements, not all fish can be visually identified to the species level. ZooMS, a collagen peptide-based identification method, provides an avenue to address this issue. Here, we present preliminary ZooMS results for several modern fish taxa, including flatfish, rockfish, herring, sturgeon, and more. These results, and the ongoing work to construct a comprehensive NWC fish ZooMS reference database, will enable the reliable taxonomic identification of morphologically undiagnostic fish elements from NWC archaeological sites using ZooMS. Consequently, investigations into key palaeoecological and conservation questions will be possible, including determining the diversity of fish caught and the presence of rare taxa through time, species’ pre-colonial biogeography, as well as lend insights into the intensity and sustainability of Indigenous fishing through time.

Past Ecologies, Present Decisions: Reconstructing Lost Ecosystems of the Great Lakes

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Eric Guiry - Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, and Trent University, Peterborough, ON
Trevor Orchard - University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON
Thomas Royle - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Michael Buckley - The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
Louis Lesage - Independent Researcher, Wendat Nation, Wendake, QC
Suzanne Needs-Howarth - Perca Zooarchaeological Research, Toronto, and the Archaeology Centre, University of Toronto
Alicia Hawkins - University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON

We examine how biomolecular analyses of archaeological fauna can generate conservation-relevant ecological knowledge that is inaccessible from historical observations or modern monitoring alone. Through three late Holocene Lower Great Lakes case studies, we show how stable isotope, aDNA, and proteomic analyses clarify species ecology, ecosystem change, and extinction dynamics at temporal and spatial scales relevant to restoration and management. Analyses of Atlantic salmon from the Lake Ontario watershed demonstrate that individuals from this now-extinct population were freshwater-resident rather than anadromous, resolving long-standing uncertainty about life history and establishing critical baselines for reintroduction planning. Isotopic and proteomic analyses of salmon, lake trout, and whitefishes show that Lake Ontario’s nitrogen cycle and food web structure remained stable for centuries before undergoing an abrupt shift coincident with industrial-scale deforestation in the early nineteenth century, identifying forest clearance—rather than long-term Indigenous land use—as a threshold driver of watershed-scale nutrient disruption. Finally, isotopic and ancient DNA evidence from passenger pigeon demonstrates substantial dietary plasticity prior to extinction, challenging habitat-loss-only explanations and underscoring the dominant role of intensive exploitation. We conclude by outlining future research directions linking biomolecular archaeological datasets from endangered species with conservation planning, emphasizing sustained collaboration among archaeologists, ecologists, and Indigenous communities.

The Role of Traditional Conservation Practices in Modern Pacific Salmon Management

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Genevieve Wick - Presenting - Simon Fraser University
Rudy Reimer - Simon Fraser University

Pacific salmon are an irreplaceable cultural and ecological keystone species in the Pacific Northwest, with economic importance. They are integral to the identities and ways of life of Indigenous Communities. Ecologically, they play a vital role in returning marine nutrients inland and as a food source for a diverse array of species. Recreational salmon fishing contributes significantly to tourism in British Columbia (BC), and commercial fishery is a multi-million-dollar industry. Prior to colonization, Coast Salish Peoples sustainably managed the salmon population for thousands of years. Since the introduction of commercial fishery in the region ~150 years ago, the salmon population has been decimated. Therefore, the sustainable management of Pacific salmon is vital to the cultural, ecological, and economic future of Canada’s Pacific Northwest.

When informed by traditional knowledge, tools such as ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be leveraged to further understand these practices from a deep-time perspective. For example, aDNA can identify the species and sex of harvested salmon and reveal changes in genetic diversity and population structure over time. These sustainable practices can be used by policy makers inform or advocate for changes to modern salmon management practice, ensuring a sustainable future for salmon and, the Pacific Northwest region.

Tracing the Origins and Dietary Impact of Introduced Goats on Curaçao using Ancient DNA

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Willem King - Simon Fraser University
Hua Zhang - Simon Fraser University
Dongya Yang - Simon Fraser University
Christina Giovas - Simon Fraser University

Goats are among the most bioinvasive mammals, with their introduction to islands altering landscapes, contributing to deforestation, and threatening vulnerable floral species. The colonial introduction of goats to the Caribbean island of Curaçao likely caused similar effects historically. However, through traditional archaeological techniques, tracing their origins and contribution to landscape alteration can be difficult to directly assess.

This research addresses just that by applying ancient DNA (aDNA) techniques to compare modern goat feces from five locations across Curaçao with historical paleofeces from the oldest archaeological site on the island (C-1426). A classical PCR-based approach allows for the study of goat geographical origins over time, whereas metabarcoding of chloroplast markers reconstructs diet with validation from shotgun sequencing of a select few samples.

The analysis of goat feces and paleofeces in the Caribbean lays a foundation for aDNA analysis in tropical environments by refining techniques and providing genetic data in an area where it is scarce. Studying dietary preference informs our understanding of the historical impact of introduced species and guides current land management practices and floral restoration across the island and broader Caribbean.