Estimating the population size of an endangered shorebird, the Madagascar plover, using a habitat suitability model

The Madagascar plover Charadrius thoracicus is a shorebird endemic to western Madagascar, currently classified as globally vulnerable. It is restricted to specialized wetland habitats that are increasingly threatened by humans. To inform future conservation measures for this poorly known species, we develop a predictive habitat suitability map and use this map to estimate the size of the Madagascar plover population. We integrate spatially referenced presence-only observations of Madagascar plovers with Landsat data, elevation data and measures of distance to settlements and the coast to produce a habitat suitability model using ecological niche factor analysis. Validation of this model using a receiver operating characteristic plot suggests that it is at least 84% accurate in predicting suitable sites. We then use our estimate of total area of suitable habitat above a critical suitability threshold and data on Madagascar plover density in suitable sites to estimate the total population size to derive a total population estimate of 3100±396 standard error individuals. Finally, we explore the conservation applications of our model.     

A method for estimating age of Danish medieval sub-adults based on long bone length

The preferred method for aging archaeological sub-adult skeletons is by dental examination. In cases where no dental records are available, age estimation may be performed according to epiphyseal union, skeletal elements or diaphyseal lengths. Currently no data have been produced specifically for aging archaeological Danish sub-adults from the medieval period based on diaphyseal lengths. The problem with using data on Danish samples, which have been derived from a different population, is the possibility of skewing age estimates. In this study 58 Danish archaeological sub-adults were examined, aged from approximately six years to twenty-one years. The samples were aged according to two dental methods: Haavikko and Ubelaker. Regression formulae were constructed for aging according to their diaphyseal lengths both for individual long bones and combinations of upper and lower long bones. This study indicated that with the regression formulae developed, estimation of age can be done with reasonable results on Danish sub-adults. The Danish data were then compared to data from a different archaeological sample and a modern sample. It showed that the modern data indicated a consistently lower age compared to this sample which increased until reaching a maximum of nearly five years and six months. When comparing the archaeological data to this study, the growth profile crossed over at 12.5 years with a maximum age difference before the cross point of two years and three months lower for the archaeological data. After the cross point there was a maximum difference of three years and four months higher for the archaeological data. This study has shown the importance of using data for age estimation for archaeological material which has been developed specifically for that population. In addition it has presented a possible solution for Danish sub-adult material when dental material is not available.     

The Effects of Climate Seasonality on Behavior and Sleeping Site Choice in Sahamalaza Sportive Lemurs, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepilemur sahamalaza</Emphasis>

Temperature, rainfall, and resource availability may vary greatly within a single year in primate habitats. Many primate species show behavioral and physiological adaptations to this environmental seasonality, including changes to their diets and activity. Sahamalaza sportive lemurs (Lepilemur sahamalaza) inhabit the northwest of Madagascar and have been studied only during the dry, colder period of the year. We investigated potential effects of climate seasonality on this species by collecting behavioral data between October 2015 and August 2016, encompassing both the warmer wet and the colder dry seasons. We collected 773.15 hours of behavioral data on 14 individual sportive lemurs to investigate year-round activity budgets, ranging behavior, and sleeping site locations. Additionally we recorded temperature and rainfall data at our study site to describe the environmental conditions during the study period. The study individuals significantly decreased their time spent traveling and increased their time spent resting in the dry season compared to the wet season. Although home range size and path lengths did not differ over the study period, sleeping locations were significantly different between seasons as the lemurs focused on more confined areas in colder periods. Overall, the results indicate that Sahamalaza sportive lemur behavior varies with season, in line with reports for other primates.     

House to Palace, Village to State: Scaling up Architecture and Ideology

It would seem desirable for any state to gum an ideological foothold in local knowledge and symbols to facilitate the assimilation of its order by average citizens and to argue for its legitimacy. However, given the "lived reality" of local knowledge and Us practical and symbolic "efficacy," as guaranteed in part through the skills of ritual specialise not in the service of the skiie. the introduction and maintenance of state ideology is neither an issue of facile appropriation o/local symbols nor a straightforward imposition on local knowledge. The complexity of the architectural and ideological scaling up from traditional house to "palace" and polity are discussed lor nineteenth-century Imerina, Madagascar, using ethnohistorical. archaeological, and ethnographic information. We attempt to present this argument through the use of evocative concrete imagery, one stylistic aspect of local knowledge, rather than through an exclusive use of analytical, abstract declarations. [Madagascar, symbolic organization of space, state origins, ideology, local knowledge]     

Tree-ring dating of Russian Pomor settlements in Svalbard

Results of the tree-ring dating of samples from the three Russian settlements of the 18th century (Bjornbeinflyene, Palffyodden, and Schonningholmane) at Svalbard are presented. The present study is a development of a previous work (Chochorowski and Krapiec, 2017). These stations were discovered during excavations conducted by the Polish archaeological expedition of Jagiellonian University in the Sorkappland and Hornsund fjord regions of the Svalbard Archipelago. In total, 5 non-dated samples of the previous work were reanalyzed for these sites: Bjornbeinflyene (2 samples), Palffyodden (1 sample), Schonningholmane (1 sample) and relics from the landing site on the Torrflya coast (1 sample). All samples from these settlements are constructional elements of dwellings, appearing to be prefabricates brought from the continent, and only one of them is a driftwood timber. These floating chronologies were cross-dated against more than 200 master tree-ring chronologies from the Arctic coast, including as well our own data. Cross-dating was performed by CORINA software which includes t-values calculated with different detrending options. As a result, it was possible to successfully date and determine the place of origin of these samples. Results obtained do not contradict the data of radiocarbon and archaeological dating and indicate the possible use of wood from the territories of the White and Kara Sea basins as a building material for the Russian Pomor settlements in Svalbard.     

Early Evidence of Acheulean Settlement in Northwestern Europe - La Noira Site,a 700 000 Year-Old Occupation in the Center of France

The human settlement of Europe during Pleistocene times was sporadic and several stages have been recognized, both from paleaoanthropological and archaeological records. If the first phase of hominin occupation (as early as 1.4 Ma) seems mainly restricted to the southern part of the continent, the second phase, characterized by specific lithic tools (handaxes), is linked to Acheulean settlements and to the emergence of Homo heidelbergensis, the ancestor of Neanderthals. This phase reached northwestern Europe and is documented in numerous sites in Germany, Great Britain and northern France, generally after 600 ka.At la Noira (Brinay, Central France), the Middle Pleistocene alluvial formation of the Cher River covers an archaeological level associated with a slope deposit (diamicton). The lithic assemblage from this level includes Large Cutting Tools (LCTs), flakes and cores, associated with numerous millstone slabs. The lithic series is classified as Acheulean on the basis of both technological and typological analyses. Cryoturbation features indicate that the slope deposits and associated archaeological level were strongly frozen and disturbed after hominin occupation and before fluvial deposition. Eight sediment samples were dated by the electron spin resonance (ESR) method and the weighted average age obtained for the fluvial sands overlying the slope deposits is 665±55 ka. This age is older than previous chronological data placing the first European Acheulean assemblages north of 45^th parallel north at around 500 ka and modifies our current vision of the initial peopling of northern Europe. Acheulean settlements are older than previously assumed and the oldest evidences are not only located in southern Europe. La Noira is the oldest evidence of Acheulean presence in north-western Europe and attests to the possibility of pioneering phases of Acheulean settlement which would have taken place on a Mode 1-type substratum as early as 700 ka. The lithic assemblage from la Noira thus provides behavioral and technological data on early Acheulean occupation in Europe and contributes to our understanding of the diffusion of this tradition.     

Pollen from archaeological layers and cultural landscape reconstruction: Case studies from the Bradano valley (Basilicata,southern Italy)

Abstract

The article aims at presenting some aspects of environmental reconstruction through pollen analysis from archaeological contexts. The anthropogenic pollen transport into archaeological sites is regarded as an interesting tool to improve knowledge on flora and vegetation in the area of influence of sites. The zoophilous plants can be found more easily than in the regional airborne pollen rain where anemophilous pollen is generally overrepresented. Moreover, pollen from archaeological contexts is mainly a result of the cultural landscape shaped by human activities. Two case studies from the Bradano Valley (Basilicata, southern Italy), rich in archaeological sites dating altogether from the Middle Bronze Age to the Medieval age, are reported. Difesa San Biagio and its surroundings is one of the biggest settlements of the area, settled in early times by Enotrians. Altojanni is an extended area mainly frequented in Hellenistic, Roman late Imperial and Medieval times. A very open landscape, and clear signs of plant exploitation and cultivation, breeding and settlements were present in the two sites. Though samples are disturbed and preservation problems are sometimes observed, the main characters of pollen spectra are recurrent. High percentages of Poaceae and Cichorioideae, together with coprophilous fungal spores, strongly suggest a long tradition of pastoral activities. These case study examples suggest that human activities would have produced a fairly xeric environment.     

Settlement and landscape history at the Federsee,south-west Germany,as reflected in pollen diagrams

The Federsee mire in the Alpine Foreland of south-western Germany contains a record of a remarkable archaeological landscape. Since the first excavations in the 1920's, botanists and mire geologists have studied the relationship between landscape development and settlement at this site. In a new study, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, various disciplines embracing both archaeology and the natural sciences have come together to address outstanding questions and problems. Pollen analysis can only be carried out within the Federsee mire since no other suitable mires are found in the vicinity. Because of the size of the Federsee basin (30 km² at the end of the last glaciation), the regional pollen component, consisting predominantly of arboreal pollen, prevails over the herbaceous component which mainly reflects activity associated with settlements. Nevertheless, phases of settlement are clearly reflected in the radiocarbon-dated pollen diagrams and can be correlated with Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements that are dated either by dendrochronology or radiocarbon. In addition, some settlement phases were identified for which no archaeological evidence is yet available. As a consequence of human impact during the Atlantic and Subboreal periods, a gradual opening-up and change in structure of the forests is recorded. There is evidence for an exceptionally high level of human impact associated with two Bronze Age settlements that were present in the central part of the Federsee mire. Each of the five transgressions of the Federsee so far identified occurred at the end of a settlement phase. These may have resulted from anthropogenic activity rather than climatic change. A contribution to the 8th IPC, Aix-en-Provence, Sept. 1992     

Living in wetlands in the southeastern Baltic region during the Late Bronze to early Iron Age: the archaeological context of the Luokesa lake settlements

The prehistoric lake settlement tradition is spread far beyond the region of the Alps, and it has been known for a long time that lake settlements are not a characteristic of one particular area. The present paper presents the results of the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary investigations of such types of sites in Lithuania, the two lake settlements at Lake Luokesa (Luokesai e?eras). They were excavated with underwater archaeology techniques between 2000 and 2011. They are Late Bronze to early Iron Age transition (LBA–EIA) in date and were probably built and inhabited during a short period between 625 and 535 cal bc. The excavated archaeological material contains a wealth of well-preserved wooden architectural details and other organic materials. Therefore, the importance and unique character of these sites is beyond question. This paper gives an overview of the history of research on lake settlements in northeastern Europe. In addition, the archaeological material of the LBA–EIA settlements at Lake Luokesa is evaluated in the context of the other lake settlements in the southeastern Baltic region. Existing hypotheses and interpretations of the origins, development and use of the lake settlements of this region are discussed. All the investigations which have been done, including archaeobotany, palynology, dendrochronology and geoarchaeology, provide data for a well-grounded interpretation and reconstruction of the Luokesa lake settlements.     

Archaeological Investigations at the Budenbender Site,Tuttle Creek Reservoir,North-Central Kansas, 1957

Abstract

By means of a contract with the National Park Service, and additional support from the University, the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kansas conducted archaeological salvage investigations in the northern part of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir of north-central Kan5as in 1957. Excavations were conducted at five sites, of which the Budenbender site (14P04) proved most productive. The present report describes excavations at Budenbender, the discoveries made, and interprets the data from the excavations in terms of current archaeological interest and taxonomic usages. The single house completely excavated at Sudanbender is identified as a component of the Central Plains tradition, and is placed in the Smoky Hill regional variant of that tradition.     

Evaluation of the weed flora of Egypt from Predynastic to Graeco-Roman times

Macrofossils of weeds retrieved from archaeological sediments in Egypt are discussed in terms of their presence, preservation and representation significance. The study reveals 112 field weeds from 61 archaeological sites dating from Predynastic times (4500 B.C.) up to the Graeco-Roman period (A.D. 395). Most of the remains were preserved by desiccation. The 112 listed species include 24 taxa from Predynastic Hierakonpolis (3800–3500 B.C.) identified for the first time. This study is based on a selection of 97 species from the entire list. Interpretation of field weed finds from the archaeological contexts is discussed. The highest number of species, 63, is recorded from the Pharaonic period. The Predynastic era is represented by 46 species and the Graeco-Roman period by 34. The intensive archaeological excavation of Pharaonic settlements may explain the rich flora of that period compared with the two others. Floristic analysis shows that 57 species were introduced in association with crops from the Middle East and 40 may belong to the native vegetation of the Nile valley.     

Natural colonization or introduction? Phylogeographical relationships and morphological differentiation of house geckos (Hemidactylus) from Madagascar

Several house gecko species of the genus Hemidactylus are almost cosmopolitan lizards, with distributions that have probably been shaped by natural transoceanic dispersal as well as by more recent human introductions. Here we revise the Hemidactylus populations of Madagascar and compare them genetically with populations from other sites in the Indian Ocean region. Morphological data strongly confirm the occurrence of three Hemidactylus species on Madagascar: Hemidactylus frenatus , distributed along the western coast of Madagascar; H. platycephalus , restricted to the north-west and the widespread H. mercatorius that occurs throughout the island, including coastal areas at sea level as well as big cities (Antananarivo, Fianarantsoa) at altitudes of 1200–1300 m above sea level. Analyses of partial sequences of the 16S rRNA gene in 46 Hemidactylus specimens from Madagascar, East Africa, South Asia, and the Comoro and Mascarene archipelagos demonstrated the presence of a fourth species, H. brooki, on the Mascarenes (Réunion, Rodrigues, and Mauritius) and Comoros (Moheli). The Malagasy populations of H. platycephalus were genetically uniform and differentiated from the African and Comoroan specimens studied. H. frenatus had a relatively low genetic differentiation over the whole region with no recognizable phylogeographical structure, indicating more recent colonizations or introductions. In contrast, H. mercatorius showed a strong phylogeographical structure of haplotypes, with two distinctly different lineages in Madagascar. Moreover, all Malagasy specimens differed strongly from the single African specimen included. This indicates that populations of H. mercatorius in Madagascar have a long history that predates human settlement.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 83 , 115–130.     

Dimension anthropique de l'éruption du Mont Pinatubo, Philippines, entre 800 et 500 ans BP

Before its worldwide famous awakening in 1991, Mt Pinatubo volcano erupted between 800 and 500 year BP. The impacts of this little known eruption are progressively coming to light with the discovery of archaeological sites and the study of oral and geographical records. Recent archaeological excavations have shown that pyroclastic flows and lahar onslaughts have probably led to the abandonment of major settlements on both sides of Mt. Pinatubo. The location of these archaeological sites and the toponyms on the east flanks of the volcano suggest a general redistribution of the population downstream toward lands reclaimed on the sea due to heavy lahar material deposition. These population movements did not occur on the west side of the mountain despite similar land reclamation. Such topographic and socio-demographic changes have deeply disturbed the economic environment since it is hypothesized that extensive trade with China and other foreign “countries” profited from the easy penetration of commercial vessels into the bays that would have been filled up by lahar deposits. Finally oral memory records, such as legends and epics, help define the ethnic groups that have suffered from the eruption (e.g. Aetas, Kapampangans and Sambals). Understanding what happened 500 years ago turns very useful to anticipate the consequences of future events.     

Of mice and (Viking?) men: phylogeography of British and Irish house mice

The west European subspecies of house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) has gained much of its current widespread distribution through commensalism with humans. This means that the phylogeography of M. m. domesticus should reflect patterns of human movements. We studied restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and DNA sequence variations in mouse mitochondrial (mt) DNA throughout the British Isles (328 mice from 105 localities, including previously published data). There is a major mtDNA lineage revealed by both RFLP and sequence analyses, which is restricted to the northern and western peripheries of the British Isles, and also occurs in Norway. This distribution of the 'Orkney' lineage fits well with the sphere of influence of the Norwegian Vikings and was probably generated through inadvertent transport by them. To form viable populations, house mice would have required large human settlements such as the Norwegian Vikings founded. The other parts of the British Isles (essentially most of mainland Britain) are characterized by house mice with different mtDNA sequences, some of which are also found in Germany, and which probably reflect both Iron Age movements of people and mice and earlier development of large human settlements. MtDNA studies on house mice have the potential to reveal novel aspects of human history.     

The evolution of primate communities and societies in Madagascar

During their 120 to 165 million years of isolation, the flora and fauna of Madagascar evolved, to a large extent, independently of the African mainland.¹ In contrast to other oceanic islands, Madagascar is large enough to house the major components of tropical ecosystems, allowing tests of evolutionary hypotheses on the level of complete communities. Taking lemurs, the primates of Madagascar, as an example, evolutionary hypotheses correctly predict the organization of their community structure with respect to ecological correlates. Lemur social systems and their morphological correlates, on the other hand, deviate in some respects from those of other primates. Apparently, lemur social systems are influenced by several selection pressures that are weak or rare in other primates. These include variable activity patterns and avoidance of infanticide. The interspecific variation in lemur social systems therefore offers a unique opportunity for a comprehensive study of the determinants of primate social systems.     

A comparison of the urban flora of different phytoclimatic regions in Italy

This study is a comparison of the spontaneous vascular flora of five Italian cities: Milan, Ancona, Rome, Cagliari and Palermo. The aims of the study are to test the hypothesis that urbanization results in uniformity of urban floras, and to evaluate the role of alien species in the flora of settlements located in different phytoclimatic regions. To obtain comparable data, ten plots of 1 ha, each representing typical urban habitats, were analysed in each city. The results indicate a low floristic similarity between the cities, while the strongest similarity appears within each city and between each city and the seminatural vegetation of the surrounding region. In the Mediterranean settlements, even the most urbanized plots reflect the characters of the surrounding landscape and are rich in native species, while aliens are relatively few. These results differ from the reported uniformity and the high proportion of aliens which generally characterize urban floras elsewhere. To explain this trend the importance of apophytes (indigenous plants expanding into man-made habitats) is highlighted; several Mediterranean species adapted to disturbance (i.e. grazing, trampling, and human activities) are pre-adapted to the urban environment. In addition, consideration is given to the minor role played by the 'urban heat island' in the Mediterranean basin, and to the structure and history of several Italian settlements, where ancient walls, ruins and archaeological sites in the periphery as well as in the historical centres act as conservative habitats and provide connection with seed-sources on the outskirts.     

Stone Age to recent land-use history at Pegrema, northern Lake Onega, Russian Karelia

The village of Pegrema in Karelia may be regarded as a Stone Age innovation centre in the large Lake Onega area. Two pollen and plant macrofossil diagrams are presented which represent the first contribution to the study of human impact in the area using anthropogenic pollen indicators. A continuous but sporadic human presence from the Mesolithic onwards is demonstrated. While there is no archaeological evidence relating to the period 4200–3000 B.P., the pollen data suggest continuous, though rather sparse human presence. The data do not support any natural catastrophes in Pegrema as has been suggested elsewhere. Cerealia pollen is recorded earlier than expected (c. 5000 B.P.=. In the Bronce Age and Iron Age, the settlement of the Zaonezhye peninsula is reflected by a slight increase in herb pollen representation, sporadic Cerealia pollen and several periods of regression in Picea. The long introductory period of agriculture to the area, as well as the similarities and discrepancies between different sources of evidence (palaeoecological, archaeological and historical) are discussed at some length. The start of land clearance for permanent cultivation in the profile Pegrema S was dated to the late 13^th century. The beginning of more intensive field cultivation in the 15^th century is clearly seen in the pollen succession at both localities. The fluctuation in anthropogenic indicators can be related to population density based on historical data. The village of Pegrema was depopulated in 1956 which is reflected in a distinct decline in settlement indicators. Received February 17 / Accepted May 19, 2000     

Cereal cultivation from the Iron Age to historical times: evidence from inland and coastal settlements in northernmost Fennoscandia

For several decades researchers have debated when cereal cultivation was introduced to northernmost Europe. Most previous studies have concentrated on sites along the coast or close to major rivers; these are areas well-suited to agriculture and represent routes for people and knowledge transfer, but omit other vast areas suitable for cultivation and sedentary settlement. Here, we present strong evidence of permanent cultivation from ad 480 onwards at a settlement located at the 64th parallel North in northern Sweden, currently situated 30 km inland from the Gulf of Bothnia. This predates the beginning of permanent cultivation at sites along the present coastline mentioned here and in results from previous studies of places at approximately the same latitude. Our results are based on continuous finds of cereal pollen grains at certain sites, selected on the basis of archaeological records, old maps, plus past and present elevations above sea level. We highlight the importance of taking factors into account such as access to waterways, communication routes and coast displacement following land uplift when choosing study sites in order to pinpoint early cultivation and sedentary settlements. We suggest that these results have implications for attempts to resolve the question of the history of early agriculture in other parts of northern Fennoscandia.     

The ranging behavior of Lemur catta in the region of Cap Sainte‐Marie,Madagascar

Large home ranges and extreme flexibility in ranging behaviors characterize most subarid dwelling haplorhines. However, the most comparable extant strepsirhine, Lemur catta, is characterized as having small home ranges with consistent boundaries. Since ranging studies on this species have been limited to gallery forest habitat, the author's goal is to identify ecological factors that affect range use of L. catta in one of the most resource‐limited environments of its distribution. To conduct this study, ranging and behavioral data were collected on two nonoverlapping groups through all‐day follows in the semidesert scrub environment of Cap Sainte‐Marie (CSM), Madagascar. Data were collected from August 2007 through July 2008. Home range areas and day range lengths were generated using ArcGIS® 9.3. Other variables measured were habitat composition, diet richness, daily activity, and microclimate. Home range areas of CSM L. catta were very large relative to those of gallery forest L. catta, and there was great monthly variation. In contrast, day range lengths at CSM were either smaller than or approximated the size of comparative gallery forest groups. Temperature, sunning, and diet richness were associated with day range length for one but not for both groups and appear to be related to energy management needs. Based on these findings, the author suggests that L. catta is capable of extensive behavioral and ranging flexibility in the extremes of its environment. However, physiological constraints impose limitations that can interfere with its ability to adapt to even seemingly minor variations in microclimate and habitat structure within the same site. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Natural resources and agriculture during the Iron Age in Ostrobothnia,western Finland,investigated by pollen analysis

In Ostrobothnia, western Finland, the Viking period (A.D. 800–1050) in contrast to the rich Migration period (A.D. 400–550/600), is poor in archaeological finds. Archaeologists have interpreted this as indicating a break in settlement continuity. Palaeoecological investigations using pollen analyses and radiocarbon dating of peat cores from ten sites show that field cultivation and animal husbandry have taken place continuously throughout the entire Iron Age in Ostrobothnia. Slash-and-burn cultivation was not of importance in the studied area, but small-scale cereal cultivation occurred on permanent, tilled and manured fields. The Iron Age agriculture was largely dependent on animal husbandry and therefore was located close to the sea because the natural, highly productive shore meadows were an indispensable fodder resource. As a consequence of the progressive rapid change of the natural environment caused by the flat topography and land upheaval, the settlements were regularly relocated to keep pace with the westwards retreating sea. Settlement continuity in Iron Age coastal Ostrobothnia has to be looked upon in a regional rather than a local perspective because of the changing landscape. The results of this palaeoecological study, in which investigations were carried out in several parts of the region, demonstrate regional settlement continuity throughout the Iron Age.