Sandweiss quoted in article about the origins of Thanksgiving Dinner
Daniel Sandweiss, a professor of anthropology and Quaternary and climate studies at the University of Maine, was quoted in a CNN article “Probing ancient mastodon dung, scientists discover early humans had a lot to do with saving Thanksgiving dinner.”
Sandweiss said the study referenced in the article is a reminder of the impact even a tiny population like these ancient ancestors could have on what’s on our table thousands of years later.
“Humans have such a large and sometimes unexpected influence on economies and ecosystems,” Sandweiss said. “The squash we have today are remaining representatives of this genus of plant which otherwise would have been in trouble for survival because of the changing landscape. It’s fascinating to think what impact human intervention can have even through the depth of time.”