The University of Western Ontario
Graduate Student, Anthropology
Simon Fraser University, Archaeolgoy
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Neil Ferris
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About
I am particularly interested in how archaeobotany and ancient DNA can contribute and work within the realm Ethnobiolgy.
For my Hons. thesis with Dr. Dongya Yang at Simon Fraser - I looked at ancient Garry oak (Quercus garryana) DNA to help set the stage to for future studies involving intensive resource management of ancient peoples on the Northwest Coast. (Thanks to Dana Lepofsky, Dale Croes, Bethany Matthews, Antonia Rodrigues, Jason Moore & Nancy Turner)
For my M.A. thesis I will be joining forces with CRM consultants to encourage the proper and more in-depth analyses of archaeobotanical remains. I will also identify samples of carbonized Zea mays (maize) from archaeological contexts and attempt to recover ancient DNA (aDNA). Extractions will then assist in distinguishing between potential maize types (genomes and/or varieties), to test the hypothesis that neighbouring Iroquoian and Western Basin peoples of the Late Woodland (1000-1400 A.D) were exploiting different types of maize.
Other interests: graffiti, archaeological theory, snowboarding & botany
