The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) was independently domesticated in Mesoamerica and the Southwest, the latter as the only case of Native American animal domestication north of Mexico. In the upland (non-desert) portion of the American Southwest, distinctive closely related mtDNA lineages belonging to haplogroup H1 (thought to indicate domestication) occur from ca. 1 A.D. (Basketmaker II period) through early historic times. At many sites, low frequencies of lineages belonging to haplogroup H2 also occur, apparently derived from the local Merriam’s subspecies. We report genetic, stable isotope, and coprolite data from turkey remains recovered at three early sites in SE Utah and SW Colorado dating to the Basketmaker II, III, and early Pueblo II periods. Evidence from these and other early sites indicates that both the H1 and H2 turkeys had a predominantly maize-based diet similar to that of humans; prior to late Pueblo II times, the birds were kept primarily to provide feathers for blankets and ritual uses; and ritualized burials indicate turkeys’ symbolic value. We argue that viewing individuals from the H1 and H2 haplogroups as “domestic” versus “wild” is an oversimplification.

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Biodiversity is one of the most important concepts in contemporary biology, with a broad range of applications. In November 1995, South Africa ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Signatories are obligated to develop a strategic plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. To meet the requirements of the CBD, the South African National Survey of Arachnida (SANSA) was initiated in 1997. This national project has several aims: to document and describe the arachnid fauna of South Africa; to consolidate all the available data on South African arachnids into one relational database and to make this biodiversity information available to science; and to address issues concerning their conservation and sustainable use. Extensive sampling took place and the SANSA database contains a wealth of biodiversity data that are used to provide answers to ecological questions. Presently 71 spider families, 471 genera and 2170 species are known from South Africa, representing approximately 4.8% of the world fauna. This paper presents the current state of spider biodiversity information and how it is managed. It demonstrates the importance of running a national inventory; emphasises the significance of using a good database application; and the importance of capacity development to improve the quality and integration of biodiversity information. Further, it shows the role SANSA has played in unifying and strengthening arachnid research, with the major thrust to discover the spider diversity in South Africa. We discuss the present status of knowledge, constraints to improving this, and the future directions for research. SANSA has provided the foundations for a more integrative approach to spider diversity research. Future research should build on this legacy by linking taxonomic diversity with that of functional diversity, predicting the response of this diversity to global change drivers. Functional approaches will link these studies to ecosystem processes. Global collaborative studies at several sites following standardised sampling protocols and focused research questions would add value to the SANSA collection and the importance of spiders for the health of ecosystems.

Belowground biodiversity Taxonomy Endemism (6.4 and 7.7%) proportion of globally described diversity. Endemism is high for most groups, ranging from 33-92%. However, major knowledge gaps exist for most soil biota groups. While sampling has been relatively comprehensive in some areas for a few groups (particularly those with direct socioeconomic impacts), the Nama-Karoo, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape are poorly sampled. Natural soils in biodiversity hotspots, such as the Fynbos Biome, are also understudied. We argue that a more integrative approach to acquiring foundational knowledge in soil biodiversity is needed if applied soil research is to be effective in ensuring sustainable soil health. Considerable investment will be required to bring our understanding of the soil biodiversity in this megadiverse region to a level where the Millennium Development Goals can be reached.

Invertebrates include more than 80% of all animals, yet they are severely under-represented in studies of southern African diversity. Site biodiversity estimates that do not consider invertebrates, not only omit the greatest part of what they are attempting to measure, but also ignore major contributors to essential ecosystem processes. All available information on spider species distribution in the South African Savanna Biome was compiled. This is the largest biome in the country,occupying over one third of the surface area.A total of 1230 species represented by 381genera and 62 families are known from the biome. The last decade has seen an exponential growth in the knowledge of the group in South Africa, but there certainly are several more species that have to be discovered, and the distribution patterns of those listed are partly unknown. Information is summarized for all quarter degree squares of the biome and reveals considerable inequalities in knowledge. At a large scale the eastern region is much better surveyed than the western parts, but at smaller scales throughout the region, several areas have little information. A total of 928 spp. (75%) are free-living spiders with 571 spp. living on the soil surface, including those living in burrows (73 spp.), and 357 spp. that are associated with vegetation. The web dwellers are represented by 302 spp., with the largest number making orbwebs (123 spp.), followed by the retreat-web spiders (61 spp.) and the sheet-web spiders (39 spp.).The Salticidae is the most diverse family (159 spp.) and also has the most endemic savanna species (42 spp.), followed by Thomisidae (116 spp.). The Endemicity Index indicates that 366 species are endemic to the biome,with 322 species that are near endemics, i.e. also occurring in an adjacent biome. An abundance index (1-3) was also calculated for each species based on numbers sampled. The two indices were combined into a rarity index for each species, which gives a preliminary indication of the conservation importance of each savanna species.Information is also available on species presently protected in protected areas in the Savanna Biome and species known to playa role as predators in agro-ecosystems found within the biome.