An Archaeogenetic Approach to Situating Canarium in the Philippines

Fairuz B. Bangahan* and Michael James B. Herrera

Plant archaeogenetics is under-researched in the Philippines. For a tropical country like the Philippines, archaeobotanical specimens tend to be sparse and fragile. Archaeogenetic studies have been gaining traction but have so far been focused on faunal remains due to viability of resources. Plant-human relationships are vital in archaeology with humans heavily relying on plants for various purposes like diet, fuel, timber, and medicine. Canarium is one of those plants that present multiple uses for human societies and economies and has been seen across Southeast Asia. In the Philippine archaeological record, there are so far only two morphologically identified Canarium species – Canarium hirsutum and Canarium odontophyllum, found in sites spanning the northern half of the country. An archaeogenetic approach using a multitemporal (modern, historical, archaeological) and multigeographical assemblage of specimens will be essential in informing on the phylogenetic placement and dispersal of a plant species highly likely to have been translocated by humans. This research aims to look at the feasibility of genetic studies on archaeobotanical remains by developing an aDNA approach infused with an ethnobotanical component in studying Canarium spp. and its narrative in the Philippine setting.