Ancient DNA Analysis of Deer Remains from Curaçao

Abstract

This study aims to recover and analyze DNA from historical deer remains in Christoffel National Park, Curaçao, to assess the feasibility of studying DNA from older archaeological remains. The hot and humid climate of the Caribbean islands is typically unfavourable for DNA preservation, making it challenging to apply ancient DNA analysis to this region’s faunal remains.   

Nine bone samples dating back over 30 years all yielded DNA adequate for species identification (via mitochondrial DNA) and sex identification (via nuclear DNA). Although a short cytochrome b fragment confirmed the species as White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus), it was not informative enough for subspecies determination. As a result, D-loop fragments are currently being investigated.   

Curaçao’s deer population is thought to have been introduced over 500 years ago from Venezuela by the Caquetío, an indigenous group from northwestern Venezuela and the Caribbean islands. Analyzing pre-contact archaeological remains offers a unique opportunity to investigate how this population evolved and whether interbreeding between the island and mainland populations occurred before or after European contact in the early 1500s.   

Following the success of this pilot study, future research will incorporate more archaeological remains to track long-term population changes. This can inform researchers on the deer’s unique natural history and the historical interactions between them and the people of Curaçao.