This study presents zooarchaeological and ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses of the remains of a non-local gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) recovered from a ca. 1850s–1861 privy in New Orleans, Louisiana. This tortoise pre-dates the known import of these animals to the city beginning in the 1870s, raising questions about how and why this individual was brought to New Orleans. To address these questions, we use a median-joining network and maximum-likelihood tree to identify the haplogroup to which the archaeological tortoise likely belonged, and we combine these results with historical data to suggest a likely origin point in the western portions of the species' range. We place these findings within the fabric of the historical development of New Orleans, which nearly tripled in population from 1830 to 1860 and which saw a concomitant import of a diverse array of foods to meet consumer demand. Ultimately, we argue that the gopher tortoise is likely the result of entrepreneurialism, experimentation, and creative attempts to develop reliable food supply that fit within New Orleans’ cuisine.

中文翻译：

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美国路易斯安那州新奥尔良非本地地鼠龟 （Gopherus polyphemus） 的动物考古学和古代 DNA 鉴定


本研究对从路易斯安那州新奥尔良约 1850 年代至 1861 年的厕所发现的非本地地鼠龟 （Gopherus polyphemus） 遗骸进行了动物考古学和古代 DNA （aDNA） 分析。这只早于 1870 年代开始将这些动物进口到该市的已知情况，这引发了人们对这只动物如何以及为何被带到新奥尔良的疑问。为了回答这些问题，我们使用中位数连接网络和最大似然树来确定考古陆龟可能属于的单倍群，并将这些结果与历史数据相结合，以表明该物种分布范围的西部可能起源点。我们将这些发现放在新奥尔良的历史发展结构中，从 1830 年到 1860 年，新奥尔良的人口几乎增加了两倍，同时进口了各种各样的食物以满足消费者的需求。最终，我们认为地鼠龟可能是企业家精神、实验和创造性尝试的结果，旨在开发适合新奥尔良美食的可靠食物供应。