A new way of seeing pulses: preliminary results of geometric morphometric analyses of Iron Age seeds from the site of La Font de la Canya (Barcelona,Spain)

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - This study applied size and shape analyses through traditional and geometric morphometrics to quantify the differences between three taxa: Lathyrus sativus...     

On the trail of Neolithic mice and men towards Transcaucasia: zooarchaeological clues from Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan)

Transcaucasia comprises a key region for understanding the history of both the hybrid zone between house mouse lineages and the dispersal of the Neolithic way of life outside its Near Eastern cradle. The opportunity to document the colonization history of both men and mice in Transcaucasia was made possible by the discovery of mouse remains accumulated in pits from a 6000‐year‐old farming village in the Nakhchivan (Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan). The present study investigated their taxonomy and most likely dispersal path through the identification of the Mus lineage to which they might belong using a geometric morphometric approach of dental traits distances between archaeological and modern populations of the different Mus lineages of South‐West Asia. We demonstrate that the mouse remains trapped in the deep storage pits of the dwelling belong to the Mus musculus domesticus from the Near East, with dental shapes similar to current populations in Northern Syria. These results strongly suggest that the domesticus lineage was dispersed into Transcaucasia from the upper Euphrates valley by Neolithic migration, some time between the 7th and 5th millennium BC, providing substantial evidence to back up the scenario featuring near‐eastern stimuli in the emergence of agriculture in the South Caucasus. The domesticus mitochondrial DNA signature of the current house mouse in the same location 5000 years later, as well as their turnover towards a subspecies musculus/castaneus phenotype, suggests that early domesticus colonizers hybridized with a later musculus (and maybe castaneus) dispersal originating from south of the Caspian Sea and/or Northern Caucasia. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Phenotypic diversification and island evolution of pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus group) in the Mediterranean region inferred from geometric morphometrics and molecular phylogenetics

Aim The Mediterranean Basin is a centre of radiation for numerous species groups. To increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying speciation and radiation events in this region, we assessed the phenotypic variability within the Pipistrellus pipistrellus–pygmaeus–hanaki species complex. Although bats form the second largest mammalian order, studies of insular evolution in this group are scarce. We approached this problem from a microevolutionary perspective and tested for the recurrence of the insular syndrome. Location The Mediterranean Basin, with a special focus on isolated populations from Corsica, the Maghreb, Cyprus, Cyrenaica and Crete. Methods Phenotypic variability was assessed by cranial morphometrics using the coordinates of 41 3D landmarks and associated geometric‐morphometric methods. We analysed 125 specimens representing all of the lineages in the species complex. Differences between taxa and between insular and continental populations in cranial size, shape, form and allometries were tested using analyses of variance and visualized using boxplots and canonical variate analysis. Relationships between molecular data from a previous study (cytochrome b sequences) and morphometric data were tested with co‐inertia analyses (RV test) and multivariate regressions. Results The three species were relatively well differentiated in cranial size and shape, and each species showed a significant amount of inter‐population variability. Comparisons of pairs of insular versus continental populations revealed heterogeneities in cranial patterns among island phenotypes, suggesting no recurrent insular syndrome. Molecular and phenotypic traits were correlated, except for molecular and lateral cranium shape. Main conclusions The Pipistrellus pipistrellus – pygmaeus – hanaki species complex exhibits phenotypic variability as a result of the fragmentation of its distribution (especially on islands), its phylogenetic and phylogeographic history and, most probably, other evolutionary factors that were not investigated in this study. We found no recurrent pattern of evolution on islands, indicating that site‐specific factors play a prevailing role on Mediterranean islands. The correlation between molecular and phenotypic data is incomplete, suggesting that factors other than phylogenetic relationships, potentially connected with feeding ecology, have played a role in shaping cranial morphology in this species complex.     

Tracking the history of grapevine cultivation in Georgia by combining geometric morphometrics and ancient DNA

Vegetation History and Archaeobotany - The Near East and the Caucasus are commonly regarded as the original domestication centres of Vitis vinifera (grapevine), and the region continues to be home...     

Genetic analyses reveal further cryptic lineages within the Myotis nattereri species complex

In recent years, new cryptic mammalian species have been discovered in Europe, many of which belong to the order Chiroptera. Within this order, some species such as Myotis nattereri contain several cryptic lineages/species, especially in the Mediterranean region. Here we present genetic, phylogenetic and morphological analysis on the Myotis nattereri species complex, focusing on France which is thought to be a contact zone for the different lineages/species. We sequenced the full Cytochrome b gene from individuals from 23 localities and investigated diagnostic morphological characteristics. Our results reveal new phylogenetic relationships within the Myotis nattereri species complex and among closely related species. We discuss morphological characters which are synapomorphic to each lineage and can be used to differentiate them. Our results also demonstrate the presence of a new lineage within the Myotis nattereri species complex. This lineage, endemic to Corsica, possibly represents a new cryptic species for which we present preliminary ecological data. We further identify the presence of three lineages/species in France and detail their distribution with potential contact zones.     

Earliest “Domestic” Cats in China Identified as Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)

The ancestor of all modern domestic cats is the wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, with archaeological evidence indicating it was domesticated as early as 10,000 years ago in South-West Asia. A recent study, however, claims that cat domestication also occurred in China some 5,000 years ago and involved the same wildcat ancestor (F. silvestris). The application of geometric morphometric analyses to ancient small felid bones from China dating between 5,500 to 4,900 BP, instead reveal these and other remains to be that of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). These data clearly indicate that the origins of a human-cat ‘domestic’ relationship in Neolithic China began independently from South-West Asia and involved a different wild felid species altogether. The leopard cat’s ‘domestic’ status, however, appears to have been short-lived—its apparent subsequent replacement shown by the fact that today all domestic cats in China are genetically related to F. silvestris.     

Phenotype and animal domestication: A study of dental variation between domestic,wild, captive,hybrid and insular Sus scrofa

Background

Identifying the phenotypic responses to domestication remains a long-standing and important question for researchers studying its early history. The great diversity in domestic animals and plants that exists today bears testament to the profound changes that domestication has induced in their ancestral wild forms over the last millennia. Domestication is a complex evolutionary process in which wild organisms are moved to new anthropogenic environments. Although modern genetics are significantly improving our understanding of domestication and breed formation, little is still known about the associated morphological changes linked to the process itself. In order to explore phenotypic variation induced by different levels of human control, we analysed the diversity of dental size, shape and allometry in modern free-living and captive wild, wild x domestic hybrid, domestic and insular Sus scrofa populations.

Results

We show that domestication has created completely new dental phenotypes not found in wild boar (although the amount of variation amongst domestic pigs does not exceed that found in the wild). Wild boar tooth shape also appears to be biogeographically structured, likely the result of post-glacial recolonisation history. Furthermore, distinct dental phenotypes were also observed among domestic breeds, probably the result of differing types and intensity of past and present husbandry practices. Captivity also appears to impact tooth shape. Wild x domestic hybrids possess second molars that are strictly intermediate in shape between wild boar and domestic pigs (third molars, however, showing greater shape similarity with wild boar) while their size is more similar to domestic pigs. The dental phenotypes of insular Sus scrofa populations found on Corsica and Sardinia today (originally introduced by Neolithic settlers to the islands) can be explained either by feralization of the original introduced domestic swine or that the founding population maintained a wild boar phenotype through time.

Conclusions

Domestication has driven significant phenotypic diversification in Sus scrofa. Captivity (environmental control), hybridization (genome admixture), and introduction to islands all correspond to differing levels of human control and may be considered different stages of the domestication process. The relatively well-known genetic evolutionary history of pigs shows a similar complexity at the phenotypic level.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-014-0269-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Unravelling the complexity of domestication: a case study using morphometrics and ancient DNA analyses of archaeological pigs from Romania

Current evidence suggests that pigs were first domesticated in Eastern Anatolia during the ninth millennium cal BC before dispersing into Europe with Early Neolithic farmers from the beginning of the seventh millennium. Recent ancient DNA (aDNA) research also indicates the incorporation of European wild boar into domestic stock during the Neolithization process. In order to establish the timing of the arrival of domestic pigs into Europe, and to test hypotheses regarding the role European wild boar played in the domestication process, we combined a geometric morphometric analysis (allowing us to combine tooth size and shape) of 449 Romanian ancient teeth with aDNA analysis. Our results firstly substantiate claims that the first domestic pigs in Romania possessed the same mtDNA signatures found in Neolithic pigs in west and central Anatolia. Second, we identified a significant proportion of individuals with large molars whose tooth shape matched that of archaeological (likely) domestic pigs. These large ‘domestic shape’ specimens were present from the outset of the Romanian Neolithic (6100–5500 cal BC) through to later prehistory, suggesting a long history of admixture between introduced domestic pigs and local wild boar. Finally, we confirmed a turnover in mitochondrial lineages found in domestic pigs, possibly coincident with human migration into Anatolia and the Levant that occurred in later prehistory.     

Genetic differentiation without mimicry shift in a pair of hybridizing Heliconius species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Butterflies in the genus Heliconius have undergone rapid adaptive radiation for warning patterns and mimicry, and are excellent models to study the mechanisms underlying diversification. In Heliconius, mimicry rings typically involve distantly related species, whereas closely related species often join different mimicry rings. Genetic and behavioural studies have n how reproductive isolation in many pairs of Heliconius taxa is largely mediated by natural and sexual selection on wing colour patterns. However, recent studies have uncovered new cases in which pairs of closely related species are near‐perfect mimics of each other. Here, we provide morphometric and genetic evidence for the coexistence of two closely related, hybridizing co‐mimetic species on the eastern slopes of the Andes, H. melpomene amaryllis and H. timareta ssp. nov. , which is described here as H. timareta thelxinoe . A joint analysis of multilocus genotyping and geometric morphometrics of wing shape shows a high level of differentiation between the two species, with only limited gene flow and mixing. Some degree of genetic mixing can be detected, but putative hybrids were rare, only one of 175 specimens being a clear hybrid. In contrast, we found phenotypic differentiation between populations of H. timareta thelxinoe , possibly indicative of strong selection for local mimicry in different communities. In this pair of species, the absence of breakdown of genetic isolation despite near‐identical wing patterns implies that factors other than wing patterns keep the two taxa apart, such as chemical or behavioural signals, or ecological adaptation along a strong altitudinal gradient. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 109 , 830–847.