Paleogenomic evidence on the temporal continuity of indigenous goat exploitation in the Canary Islands

Paleogenomic and radiocarbon data indicate that, excluding the temporal occupation of the islet of Lobos by Romans, the Canary Islands were permanently colonized by North Africans around the 3<sup>rd</sup> century CE. The archipelago was seemingly forgotten in the following centuries by Western societies until the beginning of the European Age of Exploration in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. In this study, we present 52 mitogenomes of ancient Canarian goats, including samples from the Roman site of Lobos, and the indigenous and colonial periods. We observe that the mitogenomes of indigenous goats are consistent with a North African origin for the human Canarian population. Goats from Lobos share the same haplotypes as the indigenous population, indicating that both settlements briefly overlapped, and goats in Lobos were probably taken from neighboring islands. We also detect temporal continuity from the indigenous period to the colonial and present-day goats, suggesting European settlers exploited this well-adapted species.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
iScience
Published
2025-10-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113771
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
11.35

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Paleogenomic evidence on the temporal continuity of indigenous goat exploitation in the Canary Islands

Matilde Arnay, Emilio Vacas-Fumero, Clara Díaz‐Pérez, Cristina Valdiosera et al.
1 citations
iScience
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
11.35
article

Paleogenomic evidence on the temporal continuity of indigenous goat exploitation in the Canary Islands

Matilde Arnay, Emilio Vacas-Fumero, Clara Díaz‐Pérez, Cristina Valdiosera, Verónica Alberto, Jonathan Santana, Torsten Günther, Jacob Morales, Rosa Fregel, Javier G. Serrano, Aitor Brito-Mayor, Pedro Morell Miranda, Mariano Hernández, Efraín Marrero-Salas, Kevin G. Daly, Marco Moreno, Simon‐Pierre Gilson, Alejandra C. Ordóñez, Juan C. Hernández, Sara B. Armas‐Quintana
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Paleogenomic and radiocarbon data indicate that, excluding the temporal occupation of the islet of Lobos by Romans, the Canary Islands were permanently colonized by North Africans around the 3<sup>rd</sup> century CE. The archipelago was seemingly forgotten in the following centuries by Western societies until the beginning of the European Age of Exploration in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. In this study, we present 52 mitogenomes of ancient Canarian goats, including samples from the Roman site of Lobos, and the indigenous and colonial periods. We observe that the mitogenomes of indigenous goats are consistent with a North African origin for the human Canarian population. Goats from Lobos share the same haplotypes as the indigenous population, indicating that both settlements briefly overlapped, and goats in Lobos were probably taken from neighboring islands. We also detect temporal continuity from the indigenous period to the colonial and present-day goats, suggesting European settlers exploited this well-adapted species.

iScienceVol. 28(11)
University College Dublin (IE), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ES), Uppsala University (SE), Universidad de La Laguna (ES), Trinity College Dublin (IE), Science for Life Laboratory (SE), Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (ES), Patrimonio Nacional (ES), National Archaeological Museum of Spain (ES), Universidad de Burgos (ES), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Universidad de La Laguna, European Commission, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información, Science for Life Laboratory, Cabildo de Tenerife, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, European Social Fund
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
11.35
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.