A multidisciplinary study of Iberian Chalcolithic dogs

Blaschikoff, Ludmilla; Daza-Perea, Arantxa; Requicha, João Filipe; Detry, Cleia; Rasteiro, Rita; Guimarães, Sílvia; Ureña, Irene; Serra, Octávio; Schmidt, Ryan; Valera, António Carlos; Almeida, Nelson; Porfírio, Eduardo; Santos, Ana Beatriz Macêdo Venâncio dos; Delicado, Cátia; Simões, Fernanda; Matos, José; Amorim, Isabel R.; Petrucci-Fonseca, Francisco; Davis, Simon; Muñoz‐Mérida, Antonio; Götherström, Anders; Fernández‐Rodríguez, Carlos; Cardoso, João Luís; Ginja, Catarina; Pires, Ana Elisabete

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2022.103338

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…This is well documented in texts, depicted in mosaics, and supported by objects (see Fig. 1 ) and archaeology 11 – 19 . During the Roman period dogs were particularly esteemed as pets, with a number of small dogs appearing in the Roman homeland and provinces 16 , 20 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…Based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), European dogs belong to one of the four major haplogroups A-D 34 – 36 with a dominance of A lineages in modern times, in contrast to a dominance of haplogroup C lineages during the Neolithic, suggesting a prehistoric turnover (introductions/replacements) of mtDNA lineages in Europe 1 , 4 , 37 . However, haplogroup A lineages have continuously dominated in Iberia since the Mesolithic and other lineages in central Europe have also likely survived since the Neolithic 3 , 19 , 38 . For the Roman era genetic information about dogs is scarce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A melting pot of Roman dogs north of the Alps with high phenotypic and genetic diversity and similar diets

Granado,

Susat,

Gerling

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Several dog skeletons were excavated at the Roman town of Augusta Raurica and at the military camp of Vindonissa, located in the northern Alpine region of Switzerland (Germania Superior). The relationships between them and the people, the nature of their lives, and the circumstances of their deaths are unclear. In order to gain insight into this dog population, we collected 31 dogs deposited almost simultaneously in two wells (second half of the third century CE), three dogs from burial contexts (70–200 CE and third to fifth century CE) at Augusta Raurica, and two dogs from burial contexts at Vindonissa (ca. first century CE). We detected a mixed population of young and adult dogs including small, medium and large sized individuals. Three small dogs had conspicuous phenotypes: abnormally short legs, and one with a brachycephalic skull. Stable isotope analysis of a subset of the dogs showed that their diets were omnivorous with a substantial input of animal proteins and little variation, except one with a particularly low δ15N value, indicating a diet low in animal proteins. Partial mitochondrial DNA sequences from 25 dogs revealed eight haplotypes within canine haplogroup A (11 dogs; 44%; 5 haplotypes), C (8 dogs; 32%; 1 haplotype), D (4 dogs, 16%; 1 haplotype) and B (2 dogs, 8%; 1 haplotype). Based on shotgun sequencing, four Roman mitogenomes were assembled, representing sub-haplogroups A1b3, A1b2 and C2. No canine pathogens were identified, weakening the assumption of infectious disease as a cause for dog disposal. The genetic and morphological diversity observed in dogs of Augusta Raurica and Vindonissa is similar to modern dog diversity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 57%