DNA and Pacific Commensal Models: Applications, Construction, Limitations, and Future Prospects
Open accessAbstract
Components of the Pacific transported landscape have been used as proxies to trace the prehistoric movement of humans across the Pacific for almost two decades. Analyses of archaeological remains and DNA sequences of plants, animals, and microorganisms moved by or with humans have contributed to understanding prehistoric migration, trade, exchange, and sometimes revealed the geographic origins of particular plants and animals. This paper presents the basic elements of a DNA-based commensal model and discusses the phylogenetic and population genetic approaches these models employ. A clear delineation of the underlying assumptions of these models and the background information required to construct them have yet to appear in the literature. This not only provides a framework with which to construct a commensal model but also highlights gaps in current knowledge. The ways in which commensal models have enriched archaeological reconstructions will be highlighted, as will their current limitations. With these limitations in mind, options will be outlined for augmenting commensal models through the application of established techniques and new technologies in order to provide the best tools for reconstructing ancient human mobility and behavior in the Pacific and beyond.
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A total of 596 individuals (408 modern and 188 ancient) from commensal animals have been published, in most cases portions of mtDNA.
“A total of 596 individuals-408 modern and 188 ancient-have been published; in most cases portions mtDNA.”
From Dispersal, Isolation, and Interaction in the Islands of Polynesia: A Critical Review of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence (2017) · cites this paper as [43]
The Commensal Database (p. 20) says the paper compiles published DNA data for commensal organisms, distinguishing modern and ancient sources. The Introduction (p. 4) describes Table 1 as counts of individual sequences or genotypes, and Documenting the Characteristics of a Transported Organism (p. 15) says mtDNA regions are often used in commensal studies. The passages do not establish the claimed total of 596 or its 408-modern, 188-ancient breakdown; searches for those numbers did not verify them. (LLM, conf=0.77)
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- Authors
- Storey, A. A., Clarke, A. C., Ladefoged, T., Robins, J., & Matisoo-Smith, E.
- Affiliations
- University of New England (AU)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Allan Wilson Centre (NZ)
- Venue
- The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 37-65
- ISSN
- 1556-1828 (ISSN-L)
- 1556-4894
- OpenAlex
- W2063039233
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 169
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 30.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology (publishedVersion)
- Repository@Nottingham (University of Nottingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (acceptedVersion)
- RUNE (Research UNE) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Keywords
- Pacific prehistory, phylogenetic analysis, population genetics, archaeological reconstruction
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