Testing osteometric and morphological methods for turkey species determination in Maya faunal assemblages

Identification of turkey (Meleagris spp.) remains in Maya archaeological deposits is problematic because the two species that co-existed during ancient Maya occupations are extremely difficult to separate osteologically. One species, M. gallopavo, was introduced from northern Mexico possibly multiple times. The other species, M. ocellata, is indigenous and was possibly husbanded though never domesticated. The two species are morphologically very similar, their size distributions overlap, and their responses to environmental conditions and human manipulation may have led to non-species delimited skeletal changes. Limited information has, so far, been available to distinguish the two species, and most analysts prefer to identify this group to the genus level only. However, the turkey is the only domesticated fowl of the New World, and is one of only two domesticated vertebrates in North/Central America. It was a source of food, medicines, feathers, and artifacts, an emblem of status and an actor in pivotal ceremonial events. Thus distinguishing among the two species, and recognizing markers of husbandry and domestication, are essential to our understanding of Maya animal use. In this study we review the key morphological and metric diagnostic features of the species and the methods that we have used to develop and test effective morphological and metric characters for distinguishing the two Maya turkeys. This study is based on our ongoing analysis of 55 modern individuals and over 2000 archaeological specimens from Preclassic through Colonial Maya assemblages.