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. 2007 Jun 19;104(25):10335-9.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.0703993104. Epub 2007 Jun 7.

Radiocarbon and DNA evidence for a pre-Columbian introduction of Polynesian chickens to Chile

Alice A Storey  1 , José Miguel Ramírez, Daniel Quiroz, David V Burley, David J Addison, Richard Walter, Atholl J Anderson, Terry L Hunt, J Stephen Athens, Leon Huynen, Elizabeth A Matisoo-Smith
Affiliations

Radiocarbon and DNA evidence for a pre-Columbian introduction of Polynesian chickens to Chile

Alice A Storey et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

Two issues long debated among Pacific and American prehistorians are (i) whether there was a pre-Columbian introduction of chicken (Gallus gallus) to the Americas and (ii) whether Polynesian contact with South America might be identified archaeologically, through the recovery of remains of unquestionable Polynesian origin. We present a radiocarbon date and an ancient DNA sequence from a single chicken bone recovered from the archaeological site of El Arenal-1, on the Arauco Peninsula, Chile. These results not only provide firm evidence for the pre-Columbian introduction of chickens to the Americas, but strongly suggest that it was a Polynesian introduction.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Map of the Pacific showing locations mentioned in the text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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