Age assessment of Natufian remains from the land of Israel

The Natufian population of Israel was first described by Garrod in 1932, and since then hundreds of skeletons have been discovered in archaeological excavations. Their culture is amply discussed in the literature as designating the transitional stage between extractive and productive subsistence economics in the period ca. 13,000-10,000 years BP. The Natufians represent a local population with strong biologic ties to the more ancient Upper Paleolithic inhabitants of the area. The scope of the present study is to review, on the basis of new skeletal material and new age-assessing methods, the age and sex tables attributed to this group, which usually indicate a mean age of death around 32 years.     

Modern hunting behavior in the early Middle Paleolithic: faunal remains from Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel

Understanding the behavioral adaptations and subsistence strategies of Middle Paleolithic humans is critical in the debate over the evolution and manifestations of modern human behavior. The study of faunal remains plays a central role in this context. Until now, the majority of Levantine archaeofaunal evidence was derived from late Middle Paleolithic sites. The discovery of faunal remains from Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel (>200 ka), allowed for detailed taphonomic and zooarchaeological analyses of these early Middle Paleolithic remains. The Misliya Cave faunal assemblage is overwhelmingly dominated by ungulate taxa. The most common prey species is the Mesopotamian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica), followed closely by the mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella). Some aurochs (Bos primigenius) remains are also present. Small-game species are rare. The fallow deer mortality pattern is dominated by prime-aged individuals. A multivariate taphonomic analysis demonstrates (1) that the assemblage was created solely by humans occupying the cave and was primarily modified by their food-processing activities; and (2) that gazelle carcasses were transported complete to the site, while fallow deer carcasses underwent some field butchery. The new zooarchaeological data from Misliya Cave, particularly the abundance of meat-bearing limb bones displaying filleting cut marks and the acquisition of prime-age prey, demonstrate that early Middle Paleolithic people possessed developed hunting capabilities. Thus, modern large-game hunting, carcass transport, and meat-processing behaviors were already established in the Levant in the early Middle Paleolithic, more than 200 ka ago.     

Biodiversity and microclimatic divergence of chrysomelid beetles at 'Evolution Canyon', Lower Nahal Oren, Mt Carmel, Israel

Ninety species of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera, Insecta) were recorded from die 'Evolution Canyon' microsite (sample area 7000 m²), Lower Nahal Oren, Mt Carmel, Israel. Species richness was significandy ( P =0.018) higher on the drier, climatically more fluctuating savanna-like, soudi-facing slope (SFS, 60 species, sample area 3000 m²) than on the cooler, wetter and climatically less variable north-facing slope (NFS, 44 species, sample area 3000 m²), as in other terrestrial taxa. More species were found common to the local xeric SFS at die Canyon and the regional southern desert areas (Judean and Negev Deserts), than to the NFS and Galilee Mountains, respectively, suggesting that local patterns mirror regional patterns. Interslope differences in microclimate variability range indicate that this factor might be determinant of interslope species richness differences. Most species were collected in the spring (April; 47%) and least in the autumn (September; 3%) over the collecting period from March 1995 to June 1997.     

Epipaleolithic human appendicular remains from Ein Gev I,Israel

The Upper Paleolithic (Early Epipaleolithic/Kebaran; ∼ 19,000 cal BP) human skeleton, from Layer 3 of Ein Gev I on the western flanks of the Golan Heights adjacent to the Sea of Galilee, retains sufficient limb remains to permit assessment of its body size and proportions, as well as diaphyseal reflections of skeletal hypertrophy. The individual was of modest stature but average mass for a later Upper Paleolithic individual, providing it with the body mass-to-stature body proportions characteristic of later Upper Paleolithic and more recent circum-Mediterranean humans. The humeri exhibit unexceptional diaphyseal asymmetry and robustness for an Upper Paleolithic human, and the femur exhibits similar relative diaphyseal hypertrophy. The humeral midshafts are relatively round, but the femoral and tibial midshafts are pronounced anteroposteriorly. As such, Ein Gev 1 provides additional paleobiological data on the appendicular remains of these Southwest Asian humans prior to the increasing sedentism of the terminal Pleistocene.     

Dating the Lower to Middle Paleolithic transition in the Levant: A view from Misliya Cave,Mount Carmel,Israel

The transition from the Lower to the Middle Paleolithic in the Levant is a crucial event in human evolution, since it may involve the arrival of a new human population. In the current study, we present thermoluminescence (TL) dates obtained from 32 burnt flints retrieved from the late Lower Paleolithic (Acheulo-Yabrudian) and Early Middle Paleolithic (Mousterian) layers of Misliya Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel. Early Middle Paleolithic industries rich in Levallois and laminar products were assigned mean ages ranging from ∼250 to ∼160 ka (thousands of years ago), suggesting a production of this industry during MIS 7 and the early part of MIS 6. The mean ages obtained for the samples associated with the Acheulo-Yabrudian (strengthened by an isochron analysis) indicate a production of this cultural complex ∼250 ka ago, at the end of MIS 8. According to the Misliya TL dates, the transition from the Lower to the Middle Paleolithic in the site took place at the limit MIS 8/7 or during the early part of MIS 7. The dates, together with the pronounced differences in lithic technology strongly suggest the arrival of a new population during this period.     

Early Holocene human remains from the Argentinean Pampas: Additional evidence for distinctive cranial morphology of early South Americans

The cranial morphology of Early Holocene American human samples is characterized by a long and narrow cranial vault, whereas more recent samples exhibit a shorter and wider cranial vault. Two hypotheses have been proposed to account for the morphological differences between early and late‐American samples: (a) the migratory hypothesis that suggests that the morphological variation between early and late American samples was the result of a variable number of migratory waves; and (b) the local diversification hypothesis, that is, the morphological differences between early and late American samples were mainly generated by local, random (genetic drift), and nonrandom factors (selection and phenotypic plasticity). We present the first craniometric study of three early skulls from the Argentinean Pampas, dated ～8,000 cal. years BP (Arroyo Seco 2, Chocorí, and La Tigra), and one associated with mega‐faunal remains (Fontezuelas skull). In addition, we studied several Late Holocene samples. We show that the skulls from the Argentinean Pampas are morphologically similar to other Early Holocene American skulls (i.e., Lagoa Santa from Brazil, Tequendama, Checua, and Aguazuque from Colombia, Lauricocha from Peru, and early Mexicans) that exhibit long and narrow cranial vaults. These samples differ from the Late Holocene American samples that exhibit a shorter and wider cranial vault. Our results underscore the important differences in cranial morphology between early and late‐American samples. However, we emphasize the need for further studies to discuss alternative hypotheses regarding such differences. Am J Phys Anthropol 143:298–305, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Growth and asymmetry of soil microfungal colonies from "Evolution Canyon," Lower Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel, Israel

Background

Fluctuating asymmetry is a contentious indicator of stress in populations of animals and plants. Nevertheless, it is a measure of developmental noise, typically obtained by measuring asymmetry across an individual organism''s left-right axis of symmetry. These individual, signed asymmetries are symmetrically distributed around a mean of zero. Fluctuating asymmetry, however, has rarely been studied in microorganisms, and never in fungi.

Objective and Methods

We examined colony growth and random phenotypic variation of five soil microfungal species isolated from the opposing slopes of “Evolution Canyon,” Mount Carmel, Israel. This canyon provides an opportunity to study diverse taxa inhabiting a single microsite, under different kinds and intensities of abiotic and biotic stress. The south-facing “African” slope of “Evolution Canyon” is xeric, warm, and tropical. It is only 200 m, on average, from the north-facing “European” slope, which is mesic, cool, and temperate. Five fungal species inhabiting both the south-facing “African” slope, and the north-facing “European” slope of the canyon were grown under controlled laboratory conditions, where we measured the fluctuating radial asymmetry and sizes of their colonies.

Results

Different species displayed different amounts of radial asymmetry (and colony size). Moreover, there were highly significant slope by species interactions for size, and marginally significant ones for fluctuating asymmetry. There were no universal differences (i.e., across all species) in radial asymmetry and colony size between strains from “African” and “European” slopes, but colonies of Clonostachys rosea from the “African” slope were more asymmetric than those from the “European” slope.

Conclusions and Significance

Our study suggests that fluctuating radial asymmetry has potential as an indicator of random phenotypic variation and stress in soil microfungi. Interaction of slope and species for both growth rate and asymmetry of microfungi in a common environment is evidence of genetic differences between the “African” and “European” slopes of “Evolution Canyon.”     

哀牢山、无量山与苍山蚯蚓物种调查及系统发育与扩散分析

哀牢山、无量山与苍山是云南省地理二级阶梯生物多样性研究的关键地区之一,但鲜有蚯蚓物种记录。为完善云南省蚯蚓多样性、系统发育与演化研究,本研究对哀牢山国家级自然保护区、无量山国家级自然保护区和苍山洱海国家级自然保护区展开蚯蚓物种野外调查、形态分类、分子系统发育与扩散分析。研究共获得蚯蚓物种3科8属27种,其中巨蚓科(Megascolecidae)21种,正蚓科(Lumbricidae)4种,链胃蚓科(Moniligastridae)2种,鉴定了3个新物种——无量山远盲蚓(Amynthas wuliangmontis sp.nov.)、景东远盲蚓(Amynthas jingdongensis sp.nov.)和湖畔远盲蚓(Amynthas lacustris sp.nov.)。我们提取并测定样本的线粒体COⅠ、COⅡ、12S r RNA、16S r RNA和ND1基因序列,该地区物种间上述5基因联合序列的平均遗传距离为19.6%±0.5%,种群阶元遗传距离范围为0~2.7%;其次,构建最大似然系统发育树和贝叶斯系统发育树,阐述了该地区蚯蚓物种的系统发育关系,再次验证了远盲蚓属与腔蚓属均不为单系群的观点;最后,依据祖先分布区域重建结果,并结合之前研究,推测该地区巨蚓科蚯蚓物种的主要扩散趋势为由南至北扩散——自哀劳山、无量山向苍山方向扩散。     

HIV incidence remains high in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: evidence from three districts

Background

HIV prevalence and incidence among sexually active women in peri-urban areas of Ladysmith, Edendale, and Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were assessed between October 2007 and February 2010 in preparation for vaginal microbicide trials.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Sexually active women 18–35 years, not known to be HIV-positive or pregnant were tested cross-sectionally to determine HIV and pregnancy prevalence (798 in Ladysmith, 1,084 in Edendale, and 891 in Pinetown). Out of these, approximately 300 confirmed non-pregnant, HIV-negative women were subsequently enrolled at each clinical research center (CRC) in a 12-month cohort study with quarterly study visits. Women in the cohort studies were required to use a condom plus a hormonal contraceptive method. HIV prevalence rates in the baseline cross-sectional surveys were high: 42% in Ladysmith, 46% in Edendale and 41% in Pinetown. Around 90% of study participants at each CRC reported one sex partner in the last 3 months, but only 14–30% stated that they were sure that none of their sex partners were HIV-positive. HIV incidence rates based on seroconversions over 12 months were 14.8/100 person-years (PY) (95% CI 9.7, 19.8) in Ladysmith, 6.3/100 PY (95% CI 3.2, 9.4) in Edendale, and 7.2/100 PY (95% CI 3.7, 10.7) in Pinetown. The 12-month pregnancy incidence rates (in the context of high reported contraceptive use) were: 5.7/100 PY (95% CI 2.6, 8.7) in Ladysmith, 3.1/100 PY (95% CI 0.9, 5.2) in Edendale and 6.3/100 PY (95% CI 3.0, 9.6) in Pinetown.

Conclusions/Significance

HIV prevalence and incidence remain high in peri-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal.     

Selection and gene flow between microenvironments: the case of Drosophila at Lower Nahal Oren,Mount Carmel,Israel

Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans from contrasted microenvironments (south- and north-facing slopes of Lower Nahal Oren Canyon in Israel) were tested for genetic differentiation at microsatellite loci, which might be linked to differential adaptation to local ecological factors. No overall genetic differentiation was observed in either species. This indicates that the contrasted selective pressures on the two sides of the valley are not strong enough to cause population subdivision in highly mobile species such as Drosophila. Significant differences in allele frequencies were observed at two microsatellite loci, but on the whole the level of divergence we observed is far lower than has been reported previously.     

Sexual conflict in simultaneous hermaphrodites: evidence from serranid fishes

Synopsis Much of modern mating systems theory is founded on the assumption that a conflict of interests between males and females acts to shape reproductive strategies. If sexual conflict exists it should extend to simultaneous hermaphrodites. Here, the suggestion is made that hermaphrodite mating systems can be used to explore the assumptions associated with sexual conflict and (a) predictions about hermaphrodite mating systems, and (b) a comparative analysis of the mating systems described for a group of species of simultaneously hermaphroditic serranid fishes. Theories based on Bateman's principle predict that there should be a preferred role in hermaphrodites; i.e. the male role ought to offer potential fitness advantages to all serranids and serranid mating systems reflect this. The comparative analysis offers evidence that cheating in the male role is found in all of the species studied and explains the harem polygyny system of two species. This preference for the male role in this group offers the best evidence currently available for the existence of sexual conflict as a factor shaping mating systems.     

Signs from a green desert: a preliminary examination of the archaeobotanical remains from a Byzantine dovecote near Shivta, Israel

This paper presents a preliminary examination of archaeobotanical material from pigeon dung samples obtained from Byzantine period destruction levels of a dovecote near the site of Shivta, Israel. Such pigeon dung was a valuable fertilizer in antiquity and would not have been abandoned without a reason. The plant remains from the dung provide direct evidence of pigeon diet and the local environment during the Byzantine period. Eleven plant taxa, represented by either seeds and/or plant parts (cereal chaff material), including five wild taxa, one legume, four fruit/nut taxa and several unidentified seed fragments were recovered. The most common seeds found were from weeds of the genus Thymelaea sp., and Ficus (fig). The finds indicate that the birds in the dovecote consumed a mixed diet of wild seeds including Thymelaea sp. and Fumaria sp. (fumitory), and small fruits of Vitis (grape), Ficus (fig), Olea (olive) and Phoenix (date). The sample analyzed also included Rumex (dock), Carex (sedge) and Androsace which may not have come from the feed. Apparently the pigeons were free to forage in the desert, the fallowed fields and refuse piles or/and were intentionally fed agricultural by-products including wild plants.     

Paleolithic hominin remains from Eshkaft-e Gavi (southern Zagros Mountains, Iran): description, affinities, and evidence for butchery

Eshkaft-e Gavi is a cave located in the southern Zagros Mountains of Iran and is one of the few archaeological sites in the region to preserve both Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic occupations. Excavation of the site in the 1970s yielded an assemblage of lithic and faunal remains, including ten hominin specimens: a mandibular molar, four cranial fragments, a clavicular diaphysis, the proximal half of a metacarpal, a fragment of os coxa, the proximal diaphysis of a juvenile femur, and a patella. The bones derive from a minimum of four individuals, including two juveniles. Although many of these remains could be Epi-Paleolithic in age, one of the juvenile specimens—the mandibular molar—occurs at the base of the cave's Upper Paleolithic sequence. The remains are very fragmentary, but those that preserve diagnostic morphology indicate that they represent modern humans. The molar is taxonomically diagnostic, thus confirming the association of the Aurignacian-like Baradostian Industry with modern humans. Four of the specimens—a piece of frontal bone, the clavicle, the juvenile femur, and the patella—display clear evidence for intentional butchery in the form of stone-tool cutmarks. These cutmarked specimens, along with a fragment of parietal bone, are also burned. Although this evidence is consistent with cannibalism, the small sample makes it difficult to say whether or not the individuals represented by the hominin remains were butchered and cooked for consumption. Nevertheless, the cutmarked Eshkaft-e Gavi specimens add to a growing sample of hominin remains extending back into the Plio-Pleistocene that display evidence of intentional defleshing.     

Early Holocene human skeletal remains from Santana do Riacho,Brazil: implications for the settlement of the New World

In this study we compare the cranial morphology of several late Paleoindian skeletons uncovered at Santana do Riacho, Central Brazil, with worldwide human cranial variation. Mahalanobis Distance and Principal Component Analysis are used to explore the extra-continental morphological affinities of the Brazilian Paleoindian sample. Santana do Riacho is a late Paleoindian burial site where approximately 40 individuals were recovered in varying states of preservation. The site is located at Lagoa Santa/Serra do Cipó, State of Minas Gerais. The first human activities in this rockshelter date back to the terminal Pleistocene, but the burials are bracketed between circa 8200 and 9500BP. The collection contains only six skulls well-enough preserved to be measured. The Santana do Riacho late Paleoindians present a cranial morphology characterized by long and narrow neurocrania, low and narrow faces, with low nasal apertures and orbits. The multivariate analyses show that they exhibit strong morphological affinities with present day Australians and Africans, showing no resemblance to recent Northern Asians and Native Americans. These findings confirm our long held opinion that the settlement of the Americas was more complicated in terms of biological input than has been widely assumed. The working hypothesis is that two very distinct populations entered the New World by the end of the Pleistocene, and that the transition between the cranial morphology of the Paleoindians and the morphology of later Native Americans, which occurred around 8-9ka, was abrupt. This, in our opinion, is a more parsimonious explanation for the diversity detected than a long, local microevolutionary process mediated by selection and drift. The similarities of the first South Americans with sub-Saharan Africans may result from the fact that the non-Mongoloid Southeast Asian ancestral population came, ultimately, from Africa, with no major modification in the original cranial bau plan of the first modern humans.     

Marsileaceaephyllum, a new genus for marsileaceous macrofossils: leaf remains from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) of southern Gondwana

Three new taxa from Albian, Early Cretaceous assemblages in Gondwana (Australia and Antarctica) and two previously described fossils from the Late Cretaceous and Eocene of North America are attributable to the heterosporous semi-aquatic fern family Marsileaceae. They are assigned to Marsileaceaephyllum, a morphotaxon erected here for sterile remains (whole plants, and isolated leaves and leaflets) of Marsileaceae. The Gondwanan taxa, Marsileaceaephyllum lobatum and Marsileaceaephyllum spp. B-C, have either a cruciform leaflet arrangement or dichotomous and anastomosing venation characteristic of modern Marsileaceae. Two previously established taxa, Marsilea johnhallii and Marsilea sp., which represent sterile Marsileaceae, are also transferred to the new genus (now Marsileaceaephyllum johnhallii and Marsileaceaephyllum sp. A, respectively). Examination of all fossil venation patterns reveals four new venation types not present in extant taxa, suggesting that most fossil Marsileaceae (leaves) are distinct from extant genera, and are likely members of extinct lineages. This is further supported by the absence of modern megaspore types in the Early Cretaceous.     

The arboreal vegetation of the Central Negev Highlands, Israel, at the end of the Pleistocene: Evidence from archaeological charred wood remains

Charcoal assemblages from five Terminal Pleistocene sites in the Central Negev Highlands, Israel, have been analyzed. Eleven taxa have been identified, two of which, juniper andPaliurus, no longer grow in this district, and one,Pinus (of which only a single occurrence was encountered), is considered intrusive, and the rest are taxa which still characterize the region today. Among these latter,Pistacia atlantica (which is the dominant tree in this area today) was the most common. Association of juniper andPaliurus is found today only in the northern Near East. It can not be ascertained that such an association characterized the Central Negev Highlands throughout the entire period spanned by the charcoal assemblages, since it is possible thatPistacia atlantica may have become temporarily extinct. In any case the former occurrence of juniper and particularlyPaliurus in the Central Negev Highlands clearly point to higher humidity in this region during the final stages of the Pleistocene. This conclusion is corroborated by a variety of proxy climatic indicators throughout the southern Levant.     

Sexual and reproductive behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster from a microclimatically interslope differentiated population of "Evolution Canyon" (Mount Carmel, Israel).

The strong microscale interslope environmental differences in "Evolution Canyon" provide an excellent natural model for sympatric speciation. Our previous studies revealed significant slope-specific differences for a fitness complex of Drosophila. This complex involved either adaptation traits (tolerance to high temperature, different viability and longevity pattern) or behavioural differentiation, manifested in habitat choice and non-random mating. This remarkable differentiation has evolved despite a very small interslope distance (a few hundred metres only). Our hypothesis is that strong interslope microclimatic contrast caused differential selection for fitness-related traits accompanied by behavioural differentiation and reinforced by some sexual isolation, which started incipient speciation. Here we describe the results of a systematic analysis of sexual behaviour in a non-choice situation and several reproductive parameters of D. melanogaster populations from the opposite slopes of "Evolution Canyon". The evidence indicates that: (i) mate choice derives from differences in mating propensity and discrimination; (ii) females from the milder north-facing slope discriminate strongly against males of the opposite slope; (iii) both sexes of the south-facing slope display distinct reproductive and behavioural patterns with females showing increased fecundity, shorter time before remating and relatively higher receptivity, and males showing higher mating propensity. These patterns represent adaptive life strategies contributing to higher fitness.