In a latest study published at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it was revealed that about 1,500 years before Christopher Columbus made his epic discovery of the New World, ancient settlers of the Americas already know how to farm animals, of which turkeys have been the first of the ancient settler's poultry.
Two instances of turkey domestication were found in the study. First was in South Central Mexico at about 800 B.C. and the next one around 200 B.C. in South Western US. The domestication eras are obviously different from each other given the years the events took place, but it is suggested that settlers between the dates mentioned may have had contacts with each other and shared turkey raising tips.
The pre-Aztec south central Mexico was given the credit to have been the first one who domesticated turkeys, of which up until now is one of our most priced delicacy. It was also found that domesticated turkeys were mixed with wild ones and was either kept in a pen or was given freedom to roam around their villages, perhaps when they deem the turkeys are domesticated enough.
However, the study also suggests that the original domestic breeds of the time were already extinct and studies found that the lineage of the domestic turkeys found in our time are direct descendants of the wild turkeys during the period of the Aztecs.
"It seems that only the Aztec turkey breed survived into the present day," Camilla Speller, lead author of the study told Discovery News in an interview. "It's fascinating to think that the turkeys that we eat today were ultimately descended form the turkey breeds raised by the Aztecs."
