The oldest human fossil in Europe,from Orce (Spain)

The Orce region has one of the best late Pliocene and early Pleistocene continental paleobiological records of Europe. It is situated in the northeastern sector of the intramontane Guadix-Baza Basin (Granada, Andalusia, southern Spain). Here we describe a new fossil hominin tooth from the site of Barranco León, dated between 1.02 and 1.73 Ma (millions of years ago) by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR), which, in combination with paleomagnetic and biochronologic data, is estimated to be close to 1.4 Ma. While the range of dates obtained from these various methods overlaps with those published for the Sima del Elefante hominin locality (1.2 Ma), the overwhelming majority of evidence points to an older age. Thus, at the moment, the Barranco León hominin is the oldest from Western Europe.     

Ultrastructural and immunocytochemical characteristics of hepatocytes from hepatitis B virus infected chimpanzees

Liver tissue samples from four chimpanzees submitted to viral challenge in order to test a recombinant anti-hepatitis B virus vaccine, were studied by electron microscopy.The vaccinated monkeys showed no evidences of acute viral hepatitis (AVH), demonstrating the protection against an infective viral dose; on the contrary, the non-vaccinated chimps developed signs of AVH in hepatocytes such as: different size and shape, slight dilatation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. disappearance of the mitochondrial crests, broadening of the normal space between the membranes of the nuclear coating and presence of laminar bodies and cytoplasmic vacuoles.Furthermore, the presence of the hepatitis B virus surface (HBV) antigen was confirmed in non-vaccinated monkeys using immunocytochcmical techniques.Transmission electron microscopy and immunocytochcmical analysis corroborated the protective effect of the recombinanl vaccine against the HBV in the vaccinated animals.     

A new Ruscinian site in Europe: Baza-1 (Baza basin,Andalusia, Spain)

The Guadix–Baza depression (southeastern Spain) preserves one of the best continental Plio-Pleistocene records of the European continent. The new site, Baza-1, is the first Ruscinian locality with fauna of large vertebrates known in the basin. During the summer seasons of 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2016, systematic excavations were undertaken in the site over an area of 25 m², which provided > 400 fossil remains of Ruscinian mammals. The faunal assemblage is diverse, comprising 17 genera. Rodentia are represented by Ruscinomys sp., Apocricetus barrierei, Debruijnimys julii, Apodemus gorafensis, Castillomys gracilis, Occitanomys cf. brailloni, Paraethomys meini, Paraethomys aff. abaigari, Stephanomys cordii, Trilophomys cf. castroi and Eliomys aff. intermedius. Large mammals are represented by two proboscideans, Anancus arvernensis and Mammut borsoni, the rhino Stephanorhinus sp. cf. S. jeanvireti, the equid cf. Hipparion sp., two bovids, a large sized Alephis sp. and a small-to-middle sized Bovidae indet. (cf. Antilope sp.), and a middle sized deer, Cervinae indet. This record is completed by the presence of a chelonid, Testudinae indet. Biostratigraphic data from micro and macromammals suggest an age for the assemblage between 4 and 4.5 Ma.     

Effect of amylose content on the lipids of mature rice grain

Most of the nonstarch lipids in brown rice (Oryza sativa) of three rices differing in amylose content were contributed by bran, germ, polish and subaleurone layer. Nonstarch lipids consisted of 82–91% neutral lipids (of which 73–82% were triglycerides), 7–10% phospholipids and 2–8% glycolipids. Linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids were the major fatty acids. Nonwaxy (24 and 29% amylose) milled rice had proportionally more starch lipids and less nonstarch lipids than waxy (2% amylose) milled rice. Starch lipids were mainly lysophosphatidyl choline, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine and free fatty acids. The major fatty acids were palmitic and linoleic acids, followed by oleic acid.     

Enzymic Degradation of Starch Granules in the Cotyledons of Germinating Peas

Starch, total alpha- and beta-amylase, and phosphorylase levels and the zymogram patterns of these 3 starch-degrading enzymes were determined in the cotyledons of smooth pea (Pisum sativum L.) during the first 15 days of germination. Starch is degraded slowly in the first 6 days; during this time, alpha-amylase is very low, beta-amylase is present at a constant level while phosphorylase gradually increases and reaches a peak on the fifth day. Beginning on the sixth day there is a more rapid degradation of starch which coincides with alpha-amylase production. One phosphorylase band and 2 beta-amylase bands are present in the zymogram of the imbibed cotyledon. An additional phosphorylase band and 1 alpha-amylase band appear during germination. Seeds imbibed in benzyladenine, chloramphenicol, and in cycloheximide show retarded growth and slower starch degradation and enzyme production than the controls. We conclude that alpha-amylase is the major enzyme involved in the initial degradation of starch into more soluble forms while phosphorylase and beta-amylase assist in the further conversion to free sugars.     

Alkaliviscogram and Other Properties of Starch of Tropical Rice

In the alkaliviscogram of starch of 26 nonwaxy rices grown in the tropics, gelatinization normality correlated positively with final gelatinization temperature (BEPT) of starch (r=0.969^**) and negatively with alkali spreading value of milled rice (r= ?0.931^**). Peak viscosity was not linearly related to amylose content. Among samples of rice starch having a high amylose (>28%) content, peak viscosity was correlated with the gel consistency of starch (r=?0.690^**) and of milled rice (r=?0.644^**) (n = 18). These high-amylose starches showed the widest variation in peak viscosity. Amylose content, and gel consistency were inherited from the same parent in all nine varieties and lines studied, whereas peak viscosity, gelatinization normality and the final BEPT were inherited from either parent. The starch of five waxy rices showed higher peak viscosities even at a concentration of 1.8% as compared with a 2.0% nonwaxy rice starch.     

Grain dormancy,peroxidase activity and oxygen uptake in Oryza sativa

In developing grains of rice (Oryza sativa L.) of the dormant variety H4, peroxidase activity decreased sharply about a week before grain maturity without any change in grain dormancy and oxygen uptake of intact grain. During storage or after-ripening of mature dormant intact grains of four varieties (H4, H6, Mayang Ebos and Seraup 27) at 25–30°, the critical range in peroxidase activity was 1·0–1·4 μmol purpurogallin/hr/grain above which rice grains were almost completely dormant and below which the grains were almost completely nondormant. The oxygen uptake of intact H4 grain tended to decrease during the loss of dormancy. The decrease in both the peroxidase activity and oxygen uptake could be attributed mainly to the lower activities of the hull. Dehulling of developing and mature H4 grains reduced dormancy and increased the oxygen uptake of the grain. Thus, reduction by the hull of the level of oxygen available to the dehulled grain (embryo) was mainly responsible for grain dormancy in rice.     

Ammotragus europaeus : une nouvelle espèce de Caprini (Bovidae, Mammalia) du Pléistocène inférieur à la grotte du Vallonnet (France)

Ammotragus europaeus: a new species of Caprini (Bovidae, Mammalia) from the Early Pleistocene site of Vallonnet (France). A new species of the genus Ammotragus is described from the assemblage III of Vallonnet cave (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France). These remains were interpreted as Ovis, but the re-study of the dental collection from the site and a first study of a partial braincase with the basal internal region of the horn-core pedicels, the parietals, the temporals, and the basisphenoid bones, show anatomical differences with the Caprini genera Ovis, Capra, and Hemitragus and the Ovibovini genus Soergelia. At the opposite, anatomical similarities of the Vallonnet material to the extant North-African Caprini genus Ammotragus are observed. The age of Vallonnet cave is dated by palaeomagnetic techniques at about 1.0 Ma. Teeth remains similar to the Vallonnet species have been found at Fuente Nueva-3 (Orce, Andalusia, Spain). To cite this article: P.-É. Moullé et al., C. R. Palevol 3 (2004).