The first lithic industry of mainland Southeast Asia: Evidence of the earliest hominin in a tropical context

Recent discoveries of ancient sites in mainland Southeast Asia confirm the presence of old lithic industries as early as 0.8 Ma, i.e., at the transition between the Early to Middle Pleistocene. Although these open-air sites still require geochronological and biostratigraphic precisions, they allow us to understand the oldest vestiges of human presence in the tropics and the technical orientations chosen by these hominins. This article aims to present an objective and critical synthesis of the material discovered at the main sites. Some sites in Cambodia and Thailand have been the subject of archaeological field missions by the Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires Étrangères (MEAE). The diversity of lithic tool types and manufacture methods encountered from the Middle Pleistocene in peninsular Asia shows a technical variability that stands out as a counterexample to diffusionist hypotheses of a cultural fabrication inherited from the West. The diversity of production methods, tools, and raw material matrices remains incomparable to those encountered in the West, Africa, or South Asia. To date, only evidence from China has allowed us to put forward the hypothesis of a common technical basis that would have spread from its southern territories; however, this hypothesis is currently under debate. Researchers have proposed the idea of continuous technical progress and the shift from heavy industry to a lighter and polished stone in Southeast Asia. However, the omnipresence of the pebble prevents a clear conclusion because these technical objects from Southeast Asia are quite simply incommensurable; a chopper in these regions may not be comparable with another chopper from the terraces of the Garonne or the Roussillon in France, for example. In other words, these tools are above all ‘tropical’ tools, and they belong to a distant cognitive world(s) with specific use(s), gesture(s), and meaning(s), making it impossible for them to be compared or evaluated by our faculty of Western judgment.     

White-fronted and bean geese breeding near snowy owls,peregrine falcons,and rough-legged buzzards at the Taimyr Peninsula

Studies were carried out in 2000–2007 near Medusa Bay (73°21′N, 80°32′ E) and along the Agapa River (from 70°11′N, 86°15′ E. down to the mouth 71°26′ N, 89°13′ E), in the northwestern and central parts of the Taimyr Peninsula. White-fronted goose nests are usually spread in the tundra or placed in 1–3 nest colonies near nests or staging points of snowy owls, peregrine falcons, or rough-legged buzzards. The intent of white-fronted geese to breed near birds of prey or owls increases sharply when arctic fox numbers are high. In the area near Medusa Bay, white-fronted geese nest much closer to peregrine falcon nests than in the area along the Agra River. At the latter location, white-fronted geese lose the competition to red-breasted geese, which are more numerous here. Bean geese, in spite of their greater size and ability to protect their nests against arctic foxes, really tend to breed near peregrine falcons or buzzards, where they manage to compete with red-breasted geese.     

Habitat loss effects on spatial distribution of non-vascular epiphytes in a Brazilian Atlantic forest

The vertical distribution of the richness, abundance, and composition of epiphytic bryophytes was studied in a matrix of fragmented habitats in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest of the Murici Ecological Station (9°11′05″–9°16′48″ S, 35°45′20″–35°55′12″ W), northeastern Brazil. The aim was to compare the horizontal (between sites) and vertical (between phorophyte heights) turnover to test a hypothesis based on niche width vulnerability. There was a highly significant decreasing of richness accompanying the loss of habitat, and the most conserved fragment housed a total richness more than 10 times higher than the less conserved fragment. Epiphytes failed to colonize lower trunks (2.1–10 m) and higher zones in most of the non-conserved fragments; they were restricted to the base (0–2 m) and displayed a clear altered floristic composition. The species with restricted ecological amplitudes such as sun and shade tolerant taxa were more negatively affected by habitat loss than generalists. Although the mean richness of generalists decreased in non conserved fragments, the proportional contribution of this guild increased, proving that these taxa are the ones which persist in disturbed sites. The forest fragments capable of harboring rich epiphyte flora in the area studied are over 300 ha in size, which is far from being a common size among Brazilian Atlantic rainforest fragments. Hence, our results highlight the need of conserving the few large remnants in this ecosystem.     

The limits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dreissena polymorpha</Emphasis> (Pallas) range in the Kama River basin

The distribution of Dreissena polymorpha in the northeastern part of the Kama River basin is limited to the area with the following geographic coordinates: 59°37′–54°00′ N and 57°10′–49°03′ E. The range of the zebra mussel is continuous along the Kama, Belaya, and Ufa rivers. Isolated populations of this mollusk exist in the Belaya and Vyatka river floodplains. The distribution of dreissena in the running waters of the Kama River basin is limited by the potamal conditions.     

Between simplicity and complexity: The knapping flexibility on cobbles at the early Neolithic site of Zengpiyan Cave (12–7 ka), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,southern China

The cobble industry in southern Chinese provinces was for a long time called large and simple “chopper-chopping tool tradition,” which persisted from the Early Pleistocene to the Middle Holocene. This recognition is 50% true and 50% false because it does not reflect the entire archaeological reality. On the one hand, the so-called “chopper-chopping tool” category often characterizes or dominates the lithic assemblages; on the other hand, a “chopper” from site A could be different from another “chopper” in site B. This distinction is important since the typological names lost their validity when conducting comparative studies inter- and intra-sites. The cobble tool industry of the Zengpiyan cave site (Guilin City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China) is an excellent example of this terminological dilemma, which presents some extent of both simplicity and complexity, underestimated in its production strategies. We could also find substantial flexibility between the two ends (simplicity and complexity) during the selection and exploitation of the cobble/pebble blanks. Although chopper-chopping tools are predominant at the site, the variability of their morpho-structures and techno-functional organization indicate that they are not just simple chopper-chopping tools sensu stricto but have their specific characteristics which could not be found in their typological names. In this context, we need to re-evaluate the previously so-called “choppers” in south China with a techno-functional approach before comparing different lithic assemblages. Compared with other contemporary sites, the Zengpiyan technical system is not far from those found in South China and mainland Southeast Asia. For example, it has similarities with the Sonvian phenomenon in northern Vietnam and some other sites in southern China. While very different from the Hoabinhian technocomplex, the Zengpiyan assemblage raises questions about the kinship with other Late Pleistocene lithic facies. Further technological studies on a larger number of sites in these regions are still needed to understand better the prehistoric techno-cultural relationships between the industrial assemblages of southern China and those bordering the Far East.     

俄罗斯马特盖奇克遗址、卡缅内洛卡遗址试掘简报

2017年8~9月,重庆市文化遗产研究院同俄罗斯科学院西伯利亚分院考古学与民族学研究所组成联合考古队,对西伯利亚两处旧石器时代遗址进行考古调查与试掘。通过调查与试掘,在叶尼塞河支流—阿巴坎河流域确认了一处旧石器时代晚期遗址—马特盖奇克遗址,该遗址石制品主要包括石核、石片和石器,原料主要是火山岩、燧石和石英岩。通过阶地比对,初步认为该遗址时代为旧石器时代晚期。另外,对库尔塔克卡缅内洛卡遗址的再次发掘出土了44件石制品,包含石核、石片和石器,原料主要是燧石、石英岩和火山岩。此次发掘进一步充实了该遗址的考古材料,也有利于进一步完善该遗址的考古年代学序列。     

Overgrazing and soil carbon dynamics in eastern Inner Mongolia of China

Eastern Inner Mongolia of China is a typical ecotone between sandy forests and steppe. Little is known about the effect of overgrazing on carbon loss from soil in semiarid steppe and sandy forests of the north of China. The soil carbon parameters were measured in a 10,000 ha natural reserve in eastern Inner Mongolia of China (43°30′–43°36′N, 117°06′–117°16′E). Three situations were compared: primary protected (PP), moderately protected (MP) and highly degraded (HD). Soil and litter samples were recovered in spring and summer. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and CO₂–C values decreased from the PP (9.23 kg m⁻² and 157 g m⁻²) to the HD (1.69 kg m⁻² and 57 g m⁻²) sites whereas the C mineralization rate increased toward the less restored sites (1.06–2.37). Surface-litter C was different in both sites under protection (PP 648 and MP 408 g m⁻²), an was low at the HD site (17 g m⁻²). Leaves from woody species dominated the surface litter at the PP site, whereas grass material was predominant at the MP site. During summer, both CO₂–C and SOC decreased, whereas the C mineralization rate increased. We calculated that C loss since the introduction of cattle into the forest was 77 M g ha⁻¹, reaching a total of 1.1×10¹⁵ g for eastern Inner Mongolia. These values are higher than those caused by the conversion of steppe and other ecosystems into agriculture or cultivated pastures. The amount of C fixed at the PP site (650 g ha⁻¹year⁻¹) indicates that the sandy soils have a significant potential as atmospheric carbon sinks. Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 39900019, 30070129).     

Report on the distribution,population, and ecology of the yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti)

The Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), an endangered species in China, has received more protection in theory than in practice. Therefore it is on the very verge of extinction. The population of the species was estimated less than 2,000 individuals spread in 19 distinct groups. It was confirmed that the monkey was confined to the Yunling Mountain System, the area between the Yangtze River (Changjiang, aka Jinshajiang) to the east and the Mekong River (Lancangjiang) to the west. We further concluded that a lowland belt to the east, about 100 km long and 20 – 30 km wide was not suitable habitat for the monkeys, and appeared to serve as the natural ecogeologic barrier for the species. Our results indicated that the southern limit of the distribution was at Longma (26°14′N), and that the northern limit of the distribution was at Xiaochangdu (29°20′N). The distribution area of the species was substantially smaller than previously estimated. There were substantial ecological differences between the southern and northern parts of the species range. The monkey was found only in fir-larch forest.     

Altitudinal zonation of human-disturbed vegetation on Mt. Tianmu,eastern China

Much of the primary vegetation at low altitudes has been greatly altered or destroyed by a long history of human activities. This is particularly true in eastern China, where low-altitude areas are now dominated by secondary forests or plantations. Altitudinal vegetation zonation of this region is often based on these secondary forests, resulting in seral vegetation with an obscure zonal sequence. Here, we deduced the potential climax vegetation according to the regeneration patterns of the dominant species of the secondary forests at low altitudes (below 1,000 m a.s.l.) on Mt. Tianmu (1,506 m a.s.l., 30°18′30″–30°21′37″N, 119°24′11″–119°27′11″E). Based on the potential climax vegetation combined with the floristic composition and community structure, three vegetation zones were identified, viz: (1) evergreen broad-leaved forest zone (400–950 m a.s.l.); (2) evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest zone (950–1,100 m a.s.l.); (3) deciduous broad-leaved forest zone (1,100–1,506 m a.s.l.). The altitudinal vegetation zones identified in this study correspond with the thermal conditions on Mt. Tianmu. The distribution of vegetation on Mt. Tianmu was limited by lower temperatures in winter, and the altitudinal thermal vegetation zones on this mountain were more similar to the thermal vegetation of Japan than to that of China. The vertical distributions and roles of conifers were different between the eastern and the western regions along 30°N latitude in humid East Asia. Cryptomeria fortunei formed the emergent layer, towering above the broad-leaved canopy at middle altitudes as C. japonica on Yakushima, but disappeared at high altitudes with hydrothermal limitation on Mt. Tianmu.     

Hybridisation between South polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki) and Brown skua (C. antarctica lonnbergi) in the Antarctic Peninsula region

Hybridisation between South polar skua (C. maccormicki) and Brown skua (C. antarctica lonnbergi) in the area of the Antarctic Peninsula is known at least since the beginning of the last century but no survey has been done so far. This paper reviews information on the species composition of skua colonies of more than 10 pairs in the Antarctic Peninsula region, and the incidence of mixed pairs. Morphometrics, population size and breeding success were examined in detail at King George Island. The northward distribution of South polar skuas extended to King George Island (62°11′ S 59°00′ W), with a small outlying population on Signy Island (60°45′ S 45°36′ W), whereas Brown skuas did not breed further south than Anvers Island archipelago (64°46′ S 64°03′ W). The proportion of mixed pairs was highest at the northern end of the ∼500-km-wide hybrid zone. Body size distribution of sympatric skuas from King George Island is clearly bimodal but overlaps considerably and hybrids cannot be identified. Skua population sizes at Potter Peninsula/King George Island remained stable between 1994 and 2004. Numbers of mixed breeding pairs fluctuated more strongly than those of pure species pairs. Breeding success of Brown skuas varied the least.     

Causal analysis of the diversity of medusae in East China Sea

Based on the maritime data collected from 23°30′–33°00′ N and 118°30′–128°00′ E of the East China Sea (ECS) in four seasons during 1997–2000, the dynamics of medusae diversity and their causes were analyzed. A total of 103 medusae species were identified, and these species mainly distributed in the southern and northern offshore areas of the ECS. Species diversity index (H′) of medusae was higher in the south than those in the north, higher in summer and winter than in spring and autumn, and higher in offshore than in the nearshore areas. The species number was closely correlated with H′ value, whereas the abundance of species had no significant relationship with the diversity index. The lower H′ value of the nearshore in spring and autumn resulted from the aggregation of Muggiaea atlantica in the south nearshore and Diphyes chamissonis in the north nearshore. In addition, water temperature, followed by salinity, is the main environmental factor influencing the distribution of species diversity. The H′ value was related to the water temperature at the 10 m layer in winter and spring, and it was associated with the surface water temperature in summer and with the 10 m-salinity-layer in autumn. In spring and summer, the isoline distribution of H′ value reflected the direction of the Taiwan Warm Current and the variation of the water masses in the ECS. In winter, the isoline of the H′ value indicated the incursion of Kuroshio current. In conclusion, the H′ isoline is an good indicator for water masses in ECS. __________ Translated from Biodiversity Science, 2006, 14(6): 508–516 [译自:生物多样性]     

Application of self-organizing neural networks to classification of plant communities in Pangquangou Nature Reserve, North China

Vegetation classification is an important topic in plant ecology and many quantitative techniques for classification have been developed in the field. The artificial neural network is a comparatively new tool for data analysis. The self-organizing feature map (SOFM) is powerful tool for clustering analysis. SOFM has been applied to many research fields and it was applied to the classification of plant communities in the Pangquangou Nature Reserve in the present work. Pangquangou Nature Reserve, located at 37°20′–38°20′ N, 110°18′–111°18′ E, is a part of the Luliang Mountain range. Eighty-nine samples (quadrats) of 10m × 10m for forest, 4m × 4 m for shrubland and 1m × 1m for grassland along an elevation gradient, were set up and species data was recorded in each sample. After discussion of the mathematical algorism, clustering technique and the procedure of SOFM, the classification was carried out by using NNTool box in MATLAB (6.5). As a result, the 89 samples were clustered into 13 groups representing 13 types of plant communities. The characteristics of each community were described. The result of SOFM classification was identical to the result of fuzzy c-mean clustering and consistent with the distribution patterns of vegetation in the study area and shows significant ecological meanings. This suggests that SOFM may clearly describe the ecological relationships between plant communities and it is a very effective quantitative technique in plant ecology research. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2007, 27(3): 1005–1010 [译自: 生态学报]     

Tannin as an indicator of paleomangrove in sediment cores from Amapá, Northern Brazil

Two sediment cores sampled from a varzea (N 02°34′38′′, W 50°53′17′′) and mangrove area (N 02°35′59′′, W 50°52′08′′) in Amapá littoral, northern Brazil, were studied through pollen and spectrophotometric analysis in order to compare biological and chemical signals of mangrove vegetation recorded by sediments during the late Holocene. According to the pollen study, probably the core base (145–65 cm) of varzea vegetation accumulated sediments devoid of vegetation. Later, this site was dominated by herbaceous vegetation and it concluded with a varzea forest. Based on spectrophotometric analysis, this core did not present significant tannin concentrations. This is likely due to the mangrove absence during the vegetation development at this site. The core sampled from a mangrove area also presented a relationship between palaeovegetation and the sediment biogeochemistry. However, the mangrove core presented significant tannin content along the mangrove phases. Thus, this spectrophotometric method supported by the pollen data may be considered as a complementary tool to identify palaeomangrove deposits.     

First breeding record of the light-mantled sooty albatross (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phoebetria palpebrata)</Emphasis> for the maritime Antarctic

The light-mantled sooty albatross is a medium-sized albatross with a circumpolar distribution in the Southern Ocean. The known breeding sites are restricted to Islands in sub-Antarctic latitudes close to the Antarctic convergence between 46° and 53°S. In the austral summer season 2008/2009 we discovered a new breeding colony with at least two confirmed and three probable nests at Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica (62°12′S, 59°01′W). The new breeding colony of light-mantled sooty albatross described here represents the southernmost breeding place of any albatross species ever recorded.     

Red-breasted goose colonies on the Taimyr Peninsula: Factors responsible for the proximity of goose nests to nests of peregrine falcons,rough-legged buzzards,and snowy owls

Red-breasted goose colonies have been studied near Medusa Bay (73°21′N, 80°32′E), on the northwestern Taimyr Peninsula, and along the Agapa River (70°11′N, 86°15′E) down to its mouth (71°26′N, 89° 13′E), in the central Taimyr Peninsula. Red-breasted geese nesting near peregrine falcons are protected by the falcons from arctic foxes; however, they are sometimes attacked by the falcons themselves. In the colonies near peregrine falcon nests, the vast majority of goose nests were situated no farther than 100 m from the falcon nest. When food is abundant, falcons protect a larger area around their nest. The distance between the falcon nest and the surrounding goose nests is inversely related to the falcon’s activity. In years of higher falcon activity, falcons prevent red-breasted geese from nesting as close to their nest as in years of lower falcon activity. Additional stimuli are required for red-breasted geese to form colonies near rough-legged buzzard nests. The distance between snowy owl nests and red-breasted goose nests was smaller when arctic foxes were abundant than when they were scarce.     

Ecosystem health assessment on the hill and gully area of loess Plateau in Inner Mongolia, China

Maintenance of ecosystem health is the primary focus of a sound ecological restoration. Yet methods involved in quantifying and assessing the health level remain a challenge to the ecological community. In this study, we selected the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau, Inner Mongolia, China, as our study area. The soil and water erosions in this area continue to be responsible for many environmental problems in northern China because of its fragility and long disturbance history. In this study, we developed an assessment method of indicator system (AMIS) based on analytical hierarchy process (AHP), fuzzy mathematics, and the theory of net-hierarchy. At ecosystem or catchment scale, three sample areas, that is (1) intact vegetation (i.e., Aguimiao Natural Reserve, 110°45′E, 39°28′N), (2) reconstructed vegetation (Wufendigou Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Area, 111°07′E, 39°45′N), and (3) severely degraded vegetation (Yangquangou Catchment, 111°06′E, 39°45′N) in the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau in Inner Mongolia, China, were selected to examine ecosystem vigor, organizational structure, service function, and soil health. We applied the AMIS for all three landscapes by categorizing each ecosystem into five health levels. We found that the health index for reconstructed vegetation were at levels of IV, II, IV, and III, while those of degraded vegetation were ranked at V, IV, V, and IV. Overall, the comprehensive ecosystem health index of reconstructed vegetation was lower than that of intact vegetation but higher than that of degraded vegetation. The health index for reconstructed vegetation was at level III, and that of degraded vegetation was still at level IV. The contributing values were: organization structure > soil health > vigor > service function. Based on our results and assessments, we proposed several management recommendations and methods for restoring the regional ecosystems. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(5): 1048–1056 [译自: 生态学报, 2005, 25(5): 1048–1056]     

Degradation of RNA during the autolysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces predominantly ribonucleotides

Autolytic degradation of yeast RNA occurs in many foods and beverages and can impact on the sensory quality of the product, but the resulting complex mixture of nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases has not been properly characterised. In this study, yeast autolysis was induced by incubating cell suspensions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae at 30–60 °C (pH 7.0), and at pH 4.0–7.0 (40 °C) for 10–14 days, and the RNA degradation products formed during the process were determined by reversed-phase HPLC. Up to 95% of cell RNA was degraded, with consequent leakage into the extracellular environment of mainly 3′-, 5′- and 2′-ribonucleotides, and lesser amounts of polynucleotides, ribonucleosides and nucleobases. The rate of RNA degradation and the composition of the breakdown products varied with temperature and pH. RNA degradation was fastest at 50 °C (pH 7.0). Autolysis at lower temperatures (30 °C and 40 °C) and at pH 5.0 and 6.0 favoured the formation of 3′-nucleotides, whereas autolysis at 40 °C and 50 °C (pH 7.0) favoured 5′- and 2′-nucleotides. The best conditions for the formation of the two flavour-enhancing nucleotides, 5′-AMP and 5′-GMP, were 50 °C (pH 7.0) and pH 4.0 (40 °C), respectively.     

韩国旧石器时代晚期石叶工业的年代与特征

本文介绍了韩国石叶组合的区域特征,并在近期研究的基础上对人类向朝鲜半岛的迁移进行了概述。除了西伯利亚的阿尔泰地区等及华北的水洞沟外,石叶组合在东亚地区的旧石器遗址中十分罕见。1990年底,韩国密阳市的Koreri遗址发现了一个典型的石叶石器工业遗存。在过去的十年间,韩国还发现了数个重要的遗址。朝鲜半岛的砾石石器工业一直持续到旧石器时代晚期的较早阶段,而在大约40kaBP,朝鲜半岛出现了石叶组合。在这些典型的石叶地点中,未发现大多数种类的重型工具。这些特征表明,朝鲜半岛的石叶工业可能是人类迁移的结果。目前还没有证据表明韩国的石叶工具工业在25~10 kaBP被细石叶工业取代,相反,这两种文化可能是由移居朝鲜半岛的不同人群产生的,在细石叶的使用用群体迅速扩散到整个朝鲜半岛时,石叶工业仍然延续,在25~15 kaBP的时间里与细石叶工业并存。