Wild Turkeys in Norman, Oklahoma

These wild turkeys came to my house on November 11, 2009.

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/01/21/0909724107.abstract
Ancient mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals complexity of indigenous North American turkey domestication
Camilla F. Speller, Brian M. Kemp, Scott D. Wyatt, Cara Monroe, William D. Lipe, Ursula M. Arndt, and Dongya Y. Yanga

Although the cultural and nutritive importance of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) to precontact Native Americans and contemporary people worldwide is clear, little is known about the domestication of this bird compared to other domesticates. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of 149 turkey bones and 29 coprolites from 38 archaeological sites (200 BC-AD 1800) reveals a unique domesticated breed in the precontact Southwestern United States. Phylogeographic analyses indicate that this domestic breed originated from outside the region, but rules out the South Mexican domestic turkey (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) as a progenitor. A strong genetic bottleneck within the Southwest turkeys also reflects intensive human selection and breeding. This study points to at least two occurrences of turkey domestication in precontact North America and illuminates the intensity and sophistication of New World animal breeding practices.

These wild turkeys came to my house on November 23, 2008.

This wild turkey came to my house on October 26, 2008.

These wild turkeys came to my house in Norman, Oklahoma, USA on 21 November of 2004. It was a dark rainy morning.

These wild turkeys came to my house in Norman, Oklahoma, USA on 27 October of 2006.

These wild turkeys came to my house in Norman, Oklahoma, USA on the 2nd of December in 2006.

More information aout wild turkeys in Oklahoma is at http://www.forestry.ok.gov/Websites/forestry/Images/Turkey Mgmt in OK, OSU.pdf