七千年前江南的一处“古动物园”——谈谈河姆渡遗址的古动物

在富饶美丽的杭州湾南岸,余姚县罗江公社河姆渡,发现了一处原始社会的重要遗址,距今已近7000年。该遗址中同时出土了种类繁多的动物遗骨,这在我国新石器时代遗址的考古发掘中还是少见的。这些动物的发现,告诉了我们一些什么?它和当时的原始人类又有什么关系呢? 河姆渡遗址出土的动物,种类之多,数量之丰富,几乎可以构成一个具有相当规模的动物园了。其中主要有:哺乳类灵长目的猕猴、红面猴;偶蹄目的猪、水牛、山羊、梅花鹿、四不像;奇蹄目的犀;长鼻目的象;食     

湖北官庄坪遗址动物遗骸研究报告

长江三峡官庄坪遗址动物遗骸分属于新石器时代、东周时期和明代。新石器时代的重要动物遗骸包括大熊猫、大苏门羚、普氏野马等,其中大苏门羚是我国至今发现该种动物生存时代最晚的地点。官庄坪遗址明代动物骨骼中,有三峡地区引进型动物家黄牛。官庄坪遗址动物群的总体特征,反映三峡新石器时代以来具备高山—峡谷的立体气候自然景观。新石器时代至明代环境变化不大,峡谷以湿热、多林环境为主,峰顶区域则在气候、植被等自然环境方面有些改变。官庄坪遗址动物遗骸,反映三峡古居民对野生动物资源的依赖性较强。该遗址新石器时代墓葬中,存在随葬多种野生动物下颌骨的考古学文化现象,其中以大熊猫下颌骨作为随葬品,是世界范围内第一例。     

甘肃西部和中部旧石器考古的新发现及其展望

近年在甘肃西部马鬃山区的霍勒扎德盖发现了石叶,在甘肃中部的东乡族自治县发现了王家遗址等旧石器地点。这对推进中国西部旧石器考古,探索我国旧石器时代向新石器时代的过渡,开辟了前景。     

从野店人骨论山东三组新石器时代居民的种族类型

<正> 我国人类学家颜訚先生,在研究山东大汶口和西夏侯两组新石器时代人骨特征时,认为这两组居民的体质特征属同一类型,即蒙古大人种中的玻里尼西亚类型。为了弄清楚新石器时代山东地区居民体质的种族类型,作者研究了由山东省博物馆提供野店遗址的新石器时代人骨,并参考颜訚的有关资料,对这个问题作进一步的讨论。     

广西桂林甑皮岩新石器时代遗址的人类头骨

广西桂林市郊甑皮岩新石器时代遗址出土的人类头骨代表6个成年男人、5个成年女人和3个幼童。壮年者极少,以中、老年者和幼童为主。至少有4具成年头骨上可看到人工伤痕。头骨特征表明,甑皮岩新石器时代居民属蒙古人种,与现代分布于华南、印度支那和印度尼西亚等地的南亚种族较接近;与新石器时代的华北居民在头骨绝大部分形态特征上十分相近,尤其与半坡遗址居民更接近。其头骨上若干“赤道人种”的特征,可看作是继承和发展了我国旧石器时代晚期人类体质特征的结果,未必意味着有其它人种因素的混杂。     

山西是黍稷的起源和遗传多样性中心

黍稷是起源于中国黄河流域黄土高原地区最古老的作物.本文从世界农业种植业的历史、作物起源的环境和黍稷的演化过程谈起,结合山西的地理生态特点、悠久的农耕历史文化、新石器时代遗址的发现和数量众多、类型丰富的黍稷种质资源,说明山西是黍稷的起源和遗传多样性中心.     

黄河上游拉乙亥中石器时代遗址发掘报告

利用动物骨骼,测得拉乙亥遗址的C~(14)年代为距今6745±85年,接近中原地区的新石器时代遗址的时代。但是,在出土的文化遗物中,未发现陶器和磨光石器等新石器时代的典型标志,而且遗址埋藏于较高阶地的堆积物中,发现的大量打制石器与华北旧石器时代晚期的石制品非常相似。这个遗址的发现为研究西北地区的文化发展史提出了新的问题。     

中国南方新石器时代遗址哺乳动物群初探

我国新石器时代遗址动物群的研究,始于三十年代德日进(P.Teilhard de Chardin)和杨钟健对殷墟兽骨的工作(1936)。近三十余年来,众多遗址的发掘,使这方面的研究工作取得了不少新的成果。在此基础上,笔者对全新世开始以来中国南方哺乳动物的区系特征和形成过程,试作一初步的概述。     

河南长葛石固早期新石器时代人骨的研究

石固新石器时代遗址是我国首次发现的含有前仰韶文化期和仰韶文化期人类骨骼并存的地点,为研究这两期人类的体质类型提供了可靠的依据。头骨的观察项目和测量项目的分析表明,石固新石器时代人类在许多特征上具有明显的蒙古人种特点,其中一小部分特点使得石固新石器时代人类与南亚人种相接近。     

宝鸡新石器时代人骨的研究报告

一、叙言在我国,新石器遗址的发现几乎遍于全国,这些遗址的发掘随着我国社会主义的基本建放事业有了显著的发展,人类遗骨,对解决我国各民族起源问题与新石器时代人种问题极为重要。考古学家不仅给予了足够的注意,也采集了大批资料,当然这些资料所联系的人种问题还有待于人类学和考古学互相配合去解决。     

中国猪类的驯养——对有关资料的评价

<正> 十多年前,在动物考古学成为人类学中一门公认的分支学科以前,几乎所有考古动物群的分析都是由古脊椎动物学家来承担的。在那个时候,这种情况是必然的,因为古脊椎动物学家最便于做这种分析并且他们具有鉴定骨头碎片所必要的知识。他们也能得到从事这项费力的工作所必要的骨骼对比标本和图书资料。这些专家们的工作成果,难得超出一个由骨骼碎片所代表的那些动物的基本分类学名单。他们很少或不解释当遗址是一个活跃的居民点时,这些动物对居民有什么意义。这倒不是因为古脊椎动物学家没有从事这方面分析的能力,而是因为他们对“现代”动物缺少兴趣以及缺乏从考古学角度来解释这种意义的适当训练。那时候,大多数考古学家显然不知道,从动物群的分析可以得知当时情况的这种可能性。     

Social Complexification and Pig (Sus scrofa) Husbandry in Ancient China: A Combined Geometric Morphometric and Isotopic Approach

Pigs have played a major role in the economic, social and symbolic systems of China since the Early Neolithic more than 8,000 years ago. However, the interaction between the history of pig domestication and transformations in Chinese society since then, have not been fully explored. In this paper, we investigated the co-evolution from the earliest farming communities through to the new political and economic models of state-like societies, up to the Chinese Empire, using 5,000 years of archaeological records from the Xiawanggang (XWG) and Xinzhai (XZ) sites (Henan Province). To trace the changes of pig populations against husbandry practices, we combined the geometric morphometric analysis of dental traits with a study of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bone collagen. The domestication process intensified during the Neolithic Yangshao, prompted by greater selective pressure and/or better herd control against wild introgression. After that, pig farming, in XWG, relied on local livestock and a gradual change of husbandry practices overtime. This was characterized by a gentle increase in millet foddering and animal protein intake, until a complete change over to household management during the Han dynasty. The only rupture in this steady trend of husbandry occurred during the Longshan period, with the appearance of small sized and idiosyncratic pigs with specific feeding practices (relying on millet and household scraps). From three exploratory hypothesis, we explored the possibility of anti-elite pig production in XWG during the Longshan period, as a means to resist incorporation into a new economic model promoting intensified domestic production. This exploratory hypothesis is the most suitable to our dataset; however, numerous areas need to be explored further in order to adequately document the role of pigs in the rise of China’s complex societies.     

Y-SNPs do not indicate hybridisation between European aurochs and domestic cattle

Background

Previous genetic studies of modern and ancient mitochondrial DNA have confirmed the Near Eastern origin of early European domestic cattle. However, these studies were not able to test whether hybridisation with male aurochs occurred post-domestication. To address this issue, Götherström and colleagues (2005) investigated the frequencies of two Y-chromosomal haplotypes in extant bulls. They found a significant influence of wild aurochs males on domestic populations thus challenging the common view on early domestication and Neolithic stock-rearing. To test their hypothesis, we applied these Y-markers on Neolithic bone specimens from various European archaeological sites.

Methods and Findings

Here, we have analysed the ancient DNA of 59 Neolithic skeletal samples. After initial molecular sexing, two segregating Y-SNPs were identified in 13 bulls. Strikingly, our results do not support the hypothesis that these markers distinguish European aurochs from domesticated cattle.

Conclusions

The model of a rapid introduction of domestic cattle into Central Europe without significant crossbreeding with local wild cattle remains unchallenged.     

An archaeobotanical contribution to the history of watermelon,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Citrullus lanatus</Emphasis> (Thunb.) Matsum. &; Nakai (syn.<Emphasis Type="Italic"> C. vulgaris</Emphasis> Schrad.)

The discovery of several 5000-year old seeds of wild watermelon, Citrullus lanatus, at an archaeological site Uan Muhuggiag in southwest Libya, re-opens the debate on the origin, wild distribution and domestication history of this species. The seeds were found within a plant assemblage of wild seeds and fruits, associated with pottery and bones of domestic animals belonging to Neolithic pastoralists. The presumed wild progenitor of the modern cultivar C. lanatus is today found exclusively in a region centring on the Kalahari Desert. This new archaeobotanical record raises the possibility that this distribution was much more extensive in the past.     

群体遗传学下动物驯化研究进展

动物驯化是将野生动物改变为能够长期稳定饲养的家养动物的过程.作为新石器时代农业革命的内容,驯化是人类社会文明进步的重要标志之一.由于和人类的密切关系,驯化不仅改变了动物的野生状态,也改变了人类的生活习性和文明进程.动物驯化研究的关键问题包含驯化祖先是谁、驯化所产生的改变及驯化时间地点等.随着高通量基因组技术和对应分析方...     

The first herders in the upper Ebro basin at Los Husos II (Álava,Spain): microarchaeology applied to <Emphasis Type="Italic">fumier</Emphasis> deposits

Fumier deposits are the product of the recurrent use of caves and rock shelters for stabling livestock and the periodic burning of the resulting dung. Their chronologies in the Mediterranean area extend from Neolithic times up to the Bronze Age, but they are scarce in or absent from Iron Age sites. The study of these deposits has provided important information to better understand past livestock and husbandry practices. The archaeological site of Los Husos II, Álava, in the upper Ebro basin, Spain, dating to 6,990–6,770 cal bp, represents one of the earliest pieces of evidence for animal domestication in the Basque Country. The Ebro basin is particularly important, since this was the main route by which the Neolithic economic system spread from the Mediterranean coast to the northern Iberian Peninsula and the western Pyrenees. We present here the results of the study of the fumier deposits from the Neolithic Levels IV to IX of Los Husos II, through analyses of phytoliths, faecal spherulites and ash pseudomorphs. The main goal was to discover the ways in which Neolithic populations in this region adapted these new practices and carried out their activities. The results indicate a constant pattern of keeping animals throughout the study period. The principal component of the livestock diet consisted of wild grasses from the vicinity. The presence of grass inflorescences suggests a diet rich in summer grass. In addition to grasses, dicotyledonous plants were also indicated, both through phytoliths and ash pseudomorphs. Faecal spherulites from herbivores were also noted in the samples and together with phytoliths and ash pseudomorphs they give important information regarding the formation processes of the studied deposits.     

The origin of the domestic pig: independent domestication and subsequent introgression

The domestic pig originates from the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). We have sequenced mitochondrial DNA and nuclear genes from wild and domestic pigs from Asia and Europe. Clear evidence was obtained for domestication to have occurred independently from wild boar subspecies in Europe and Asia. The time since divergence of the ancestral forms was estimated at approximately 500,000 years, well before domestication approximately 9,000 years ago. Historical records indicate that Asian pigs were introduced into Europe during the 18th and early 19th centuries. We found molecular evidence for this introgression and the data indicated a hybrid origin of some major "European" pig breeds. The study is an advance in pig genetics and has important implications for the maintenance and utilization of genetic diversity in this livestock species.     

Mitochondrial DNA analysis shows a Near Eastern Neolithic origin for domestic cattle and no indication of domestication of European aurochs

The extinct aurochs (Bos primigenius primigenius) was a large type of cattle that ranged over almost the whole Eurasian continent. The aurochs is the wild progenitor of modern cattle, but it is unclear whether European aurochs contributed to this process. To provide new insights into the demographic history of aurochs and domestic cattle, we have generated high-confidence mitochondrial DNA sequences from 59 archaeological skeletal finds, which were attributed to wild European cattle populations based on their chronological date and/or morphology. All pre-Neolithic aurochs belonged to the previously designated P haplogroup, indicating that this represents the Late Glacial Central European signature. We also report one new and highly divergent haplotype in a Neolithic aurochs sample from Germany, which points to greater variability during the Pleistocene. Furthermore, the Neolithic and Bronze Age samples that were classified with confidence as European aurochs using morphological criteria all carry P haplotype mitochondrial DNA, suggesting continuity of Late Glacial and Early Holocene aurochs populations in Europe. Bayesian analysis indicates that recent population growth gives a significantly better fit to our data than a constant-sized population, an observation consistent with a postglacial expansion scenario, possibly from a single European refugial population. Previous work has shown that most ancient and modern European domestic cattle carry haplotypes previously designated T. This, in combination with our new finding of a T haplotype in a very Early Neolithic site in Syria, lends persuasive support to a scenario whereby gracile Near Eastern domestic populations, carrying predominantly T haplotypes, replaced P haplotype-carrying robust autochthonous aurochs populations in Europe, from the Early Neolithic onward. During the period of coexistence, it appears that domestic cattle were kept separate from wild aurochs and introgression was extremely rare.     

Temporal and structural genetic variation in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) associated with the pastoral transition in Northwestern Siberia

Just as the domestication of livestock is often cited as a key element in the Neolithic transition to settled, the emergence of large‐scaled reindeer husbandry was a fundamental social transformation for the indigenous peoples of Arctic Eurasia. To better understand the history of reindeer domestication, and the genetic processes associated with the pastoral transition in the Eurasian Arctic, we analyzed archaeological and contemporary reindeer samples from Northwestern Siberia. The material represents Rangifer genealogies spanning from 15,000 years ago to the 18th century, as well as modern samples from the wild Ta?myr population and from domestic herds managed by Nenetses. The wild and the domestic population are the largest populations of their kind in Northern Eurasia, and some Nenetses hold their domestic reindeer beside their wild cousins. Our analyses of 197 modern and 223 ancient mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed two genetic clusters, which are interpreted as representing the gene pools of contemporary domestic and past wild reindeer. Among a total of 137 different mitochondrial haplotypes identified in both the modern and archaeological samples, only 21 were detected in the modern domestic gene pool, while 11 of these were absent from the wild gene pool. The significant temporal genetic shift that we associate with the pastoral transition suggests that the emergence and spread of reindeer pastoralism in Northwestern Siberia originated with the translocation and subsequent selective breeding of a special type of animal from outside the region. The distinct and persistent domestic characteristics of the haplotype structure since the 18th century suggests little genetic exchange since then. The absence of the typical domestic clade in modern nearby wild populations suggests that the contemporary Nenets domestic breed feature an ancestry from outside its present main distribution, possibly from further South.     

Modern taurine cattle descended from small number of near-eastern founders

Archaeozoological and genetic data indicate that taurine cattle were first domesticated from local wild ox (aurochs) in the Near East some 10,500 years ago. However, while modern mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation indicates early Holocene founding event(s), a lack of ancient DNA data from the region of origin, variation in mutation rate estimates, and limited application of appropriate inference methodologies have resulted in uncertainty on the number of animals first domesticated. A large number would be expected if cattle domestication was a technologically straightforward and unexacting region-wide phenomenon, while a smaller number would be consistent with a more complex and challenging process. We report mtDNA sequences from 15 Neolithic to Iron Age Iranian domestic cattle and, in conjunction with modern data, use serial coalescent simulation and approximate Bayesian computation to estimate that around 80 female aurochs were initially domesticated. Such a low number is consistent with archaeological data indicating that initial domestication took place in a restricted area and suggests the process was constrained by the difficulty of sustained managing and breeding of the wild progenitors of domestic cattle.