Archaeological and Biogeochemical Investigation of Past Human Relationships With Now‐Endangered Fish Species
Lake Sturgeon and American Eel in Southern Ontario, Canada
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12371056 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Suzanne Needs‐howarth (0000-0003-4040-0810, Toronto Zoo), Alicia L Hawkins (0000-0002-4173-9835, University of Toronto), Trevor J Orchard (0000-0001-9040-7522, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Eric Guiry (0000-0002-1467-1521, Trent University), Louis Lesage (Wescam (Canada)) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 377-389 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Osteoarchaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1047-482X • E-ISSN: 1099-1212 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/oa.70090 |
| OpenAlex | W7135074640 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 29 |
This paper explores the historical ecology and biogeography of two fish species that are currently endangered in the North American Great Lakes region, that were of great importance to the Indigenous people in the region, and that are the focus of ongoing conservation efforts on the part of descendant communities: lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) and American eel ( Anguilla rostrata ). We compile existing zooarchaeological presence and abundance data for these species from 69 Late Woodland period (c. 900–1650 ce ) archaeological sites, relating to part of the traditional Wendat homelands, and assemble 120 previously collected stable carbon ( δ 13 C) and nitrogen ( δ 15 N) isotope compositions from 30 sites in the region. We map past distribution and abundance of eel and sturgeon and investigate the types of waterbodies they inhabited as reflected in stable isotope compositions. Our results demonstrate that eel and sturgeon were widely, though unevenly, represented across the area in the Late Woodland period. We discuss how the stable isotope and osteological frequency data allow us to better consider the past biogeography of these species in comparison with the more limited abundance and distribution of these species today, and we consider how these data can aid in contemporary conservation initiatives
Abundance (ecology · Biogeography · Fauna · Historical ecology · Osteology · Sturgeon · Woodland · Zoogeography · Fish Ecology and Management Studies · Isotope Analysis in Ecology · Marine and fisheries research
Stepwise enrichment of 15N along food chains
Seasonal Variation in Fishing Strategies at Two Iroquoian Village Sites Near Lake Simcoe, Ontario
The Rise of Vancouver and the Collapse of Forage Fish
Beyond the local fishing hole
Best practices for calibrating and reporting stable isotope measurements in archaeology
A stable isotope method for identifying transatlantic origin of pig (Sus scrofa) remains at French and English fishing stations in Newfoundland
Improved quality control criteria for stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements of ancient bone collagen
Preparation and characterization of bone and tooth collagen for isotopic analysis
The Eel Fisheries of the St. Lawrence Iroquoians
The Moatfield ossuary
New Equations for the Size Reconstruction of Sturgeon from Isolated Cranial and Pectoral Girdle Bones
Effects of Sodium Hydroxide Treatment and Ultrafiltration on the Removal of Humic Contaminants from Archaeological Bone
Maize, Fish, and Deer
The Fishweirs at Atherley Narrows, Ontario
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |