Scienmag cites Newsom research on furbearers in Maine
Scienmag noted the University of Maine’s involvement in a four-year study using ancient DNA samples derived from archaeological specimens housed at the Smithsonian Institute’s Natural History Museum and among other museums, as well as samples from modern beaver, mink and muskrat provided by wildlife managers and fur-trappers, to better understand the relationship between people and these animals. Bonnie Newsom, a Penobscot Nation citizen and assistant professor at the University of Maine, will serve as senior personnel on the project. Newsom has done extensive work on Indigenous archaeological methods, utilizing language experts in her workshops to connect objects to the language.