Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award: Ecological Adaptation in a Long Term Context

这篇博士论文研究了过去岛国社会的动物管理实践。具体地说，该项目探索了史前晚期胡特啮齿动物(Geocaproys属)的运输和管理的文化机制。考古学的存在是为了发现过去社会的古代生活方式和文化习俗，并记录未完全理解的历史和史前模式。在此背景下，这项研究探索了13-16世纪生存战略中动物资源管理的文化方面，并阐明了整个区域土著畜牧业实践的潜在复杂性。在这个项目中结合了一系列独特的分析方法，一旦与文化上合适的历史和现代来源相结合，就可以解释前欧洲社会动物管理的演变和复杂性。这一跨学科的数据集为科学界和普通公众提供了对过去人类行为的新见解，同时也为当代后代更全面地描述了他们的文化遗产。它还为本科生提供多学科STEM培训机会，特别是那些来自历史上代表性不足的群体的学生，包括博士生获奖者本人所属的群体。这个项目调查欧洲人到来之前的胡特管理实践。在许多地区性考古遗址中都发现了胡特人的骨骼遗骸，包括那些不是发现它们的岛屿特有的物种。这表明了一种将动物运送到原生地点以外的做法，并表明动物管理文化已经很好地建立起来了。最近，研究人员从研究地点发现了近2000块虎骨。这一数字远远超过从所有其他遗址回收的总数，为记录胡特管理独特的地方方面提供了前所未有的机会。动物群样本被提交给多变量分析。Zoom DNA物种鉴定用于重建动物的起源和运输模式，同位素比率分析用于记录它们的生物和饮食生活史，AMS放射性碳测年用于制定动物管理活动演变的时间表。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This doctoral dissertation project examines the animal management practices of a past island society of the past. Specifically, the project explores the cultural mechanisms of transportation and management of the hutia rodent (genus Geocapromys) in a late prehistoric period. Archaeology exists to discover the ancient lifeways and cultural practices of past societies, and to document incompletely understood historic and prehistoric patterns. In this context, this research explores the cultural aspects of animal resource management within 13th-16th century subsistence strategies and illuminates the potentially complexity of indigenous animal husbandry practices throughout the region. The unique array of analytical methodologies combined in this project, once integrated with culturally appropriate historical and modern sources, serves to explain the evolution and complexity of animal management in pre-European society. This interdisciplinary dataset produces new insights into past human behavior for the scientific community and general public, and concomitantly develops a more holistic account of their cultural heritage to contemporary descendants. It also generates multi-disciplinary STEM training opportunities for undergraduate students, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, including those to which the doctoral student awardee herself belongs. This project investigates hutia management practices before European arrival. Hutia skeletal remains are found at many regional archaeological sites, including those of species which are not endemic to the island upon which they were recovered. This indicates a practice of transportation of hutia beyond their native location and suggests that a culture of animal management was well established. Recently, the researchers have recovered nearly two thousand hutia bones from the study site. This number far exceeds the total recovered from all other sites combined and presents an unprecedented opportunity to document the uniquely local aspects of hutia management. Faunal samples are submitted to a multivariate analysis. ZooMS DNA species identification serves to reconstruct hutia origins and transportation patterns, isotope ratio analysis to document their biological and dietary life history, and AMS radiocarbon dating to develop a timeline for the evolution of animal management activity.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.