A History of Turkeys
The poultry (Meleagris gallapavo) was absolutely domesticated in the Fresh World, nevertheless specific beginnings are somewhat problematic. Archaeological specimens of wild chicken have been present in North America that date towards the Pleistocene, and turkeys had been emblematic of many Wood land tribes in North America as seen at sites such as Mississippian Etowah. The earliest signs of domestication found to time appear in Maya sites such as Cobá start about 100 BC-100 ADVERTISEMENT.
Turkey Species
The crazy turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) can be indigenous to much of the eastern and south west US, northern Mexico and southeastern Canada.
Six subspecies are identified by biologists: eastern (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), Florida (M. g. osceola), Rio Grande (M. g. intermedia), Merriam's (M. g. merriami), Gould's (M. g. mexicana), and southern Philippine (M. g. gallopavo). The variations among them will be mostly habitat, but you will find minor dissimilarities in physique size and plumage pigmentation.
The ocellated turkey (Agriocharis ocellata or Meleagris ocellata) is considerably different in dimensions and coloration and believed by some an individual species entirely. It is definitely native towards the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico and, curiously enough, is today typically found wandering in Internet ruins just like Tikal. The ocellated turkey is even more resistant to domestication, sadly he among the turkeys kept in pens by simply the Aztecs as explained by the Spanish.
Turkeys were employed by precolumbian American societies for meat and egg consumption, and their particular feathers were prized intended for decorative objects and apparel. The hollow long bone tissues of turkeys were likewise adapted for proper use as musical technology instruments and bone equipment.
Turkey Domestication
At the time of the Romance language colonization, there were trained turkeys in Mexico amongst the Aztecs, in addition to the pueblo societies with the American southwest. Evidence shows that the turkeys from the southwest were actually brought in from Mexico about ADVERTISEMENT 300, and perhaps re-domesticated in the southwest regarding 1100 AD when poultry husbandry really became well-liked. Wild turkeys were located by the European settlers through the eastern woodlands. Versions in coloration were mentioned inside the 16th hundred years, and many turkeys had been carted back to The european countries.
Archaeological evidence for poultry domestication accepted by college students includes the existence of turkeys outside of their particular original habitats, the building of pens, turkey burial, turkey demography including juveniles, healed long bone cracks, and the existence of quantities of eggshell. The latest work using patterned calcium supplements absorption in eggshell to pick out shell which in turn originated from hatched eggs offers added another possible course of investigation.
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