Brief communication: DNA from early Holocene American dog.

We present the oldest genetically identified dog in the Americas, directly dated to 9,260 ± 170 Cal. B.P.

High dietary intake of prebiotic inulin-type fructans in the prehistoric Chihuahuan Desert.

Archaeological evidence from dry cave deposits in the northern Chihuahuan Desert reveal intensive utilisation of desert plants that store prebiotic inulin-type fructans as the primary carbohydrate. In this semi-arid region limited rainfall and poor soil conditions prevented the adoption of agriculture and thus provides a unique glimpse into a pure hunter-forager economy spanning over 10 000 years. Ancient cooking features, stable carbon isotope analysis of human skeletons, and well-preserved coprolites and macrobotanical remains reveal a plant-based diet that included a dietary intake of about 135 g prebiotic inulin-type fructans per d by the average adult male hunter-forager.